Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power

The present qualitative study sought to explore the relationship between English language learning and identity reconstruction from the view - points of Iranian language learners. The data were collected by means of focus-group interviews with forty-five male intermediate learner...

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Autor principal:	Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	University of Ljubljana 2017
Materias:	english as an international language identity reconstruc - tion learner identity other power Education (General) L7-991
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/9465a50f732c4d90875c94c07462492e
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:9465a50f732c4d90875c94c07462492e2021-11-23T16:01:54ZForeign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power 1855-97192232-2647https://doaj.org/article/9465a50f732c4d90875c94c07462492e2017-12-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.cepsj.si/index.php/cepsj/article/view/362 https://doaj.org/toc/1855-9719https://doaj.org/toc/2232-2647The present qualitative study sought to explore the relationship between English language learning and identity reconstruction from the view - points of Iranian language learners. The data were collected by means of focus-group interviews with forty-five male intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). To define the concept of identity, the participants were found to draw upon notions as diverse as personal and social characteristics, ethnic origins, geographical locations, religious affiliations, national customs and rituals and values, amongst others. Furthermore, the vast majority of the learners held that learning English had a profound impact on how they perceive their identity. Of these, nearly all the interviewees regarded the above impact as highly positive and beneficial to the course of language learning. The interviewees also expressed strong inclination to integrate and, therefore, to identify with the target linguistic and cultural norms. Notwithstanding, a number of opposing voices were raised by some learners who resisted identity reconstruction through language learning, claiming that they learned English simply for the sake of instrumental, as opposed to integrative, purposes. These participants also levelled criticisms at what they viewed as ‘the imposition of Western values on an Islamic country’. The results highlight the vital role of motivation and the status of English as an international language in viewing, redefining and reconstructing identity. In conclusion, the findings confirm the role of discursive practices, power relations, solidarity and otherising with regard to identity reconstruction in the course of second language (L2) learning.Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’dUniversity of Ljubljanaarticleenglish as an international languageidentity reconstruc - tionlearner identityotherpowerEducation (General)L7-991ENCenter for Educational Policy Studies Journal, Vol 7, Iss 4, Pp 13-36 (2017)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	english as an international language identity reconstruc - tion learner identity other power Education (General) L7-991
spellingShingle	english as an international language identity reconstruc - tion learner identity other power Education (General) L7-991 Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
description	The present qualitative study sought to explore the relationship between English language learning and identity reconstruction from the view - points of Iranian language learners. The data were collected by means of focus-group interviews with forty-five male intermediate learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). To define the concept of identity, the participants were found to draw upon notions as diverse as personal and social characteristics, ethnic origins, geographical locations, religious affiliations, national customs and rituals and values, amongst others. Furthermore, the vast majority of the learners held that learning English had a profound impact on how they perceive their identity. Of these, nearly all the interviewees regarded the above impact as highly positive and beneficial to the course of language learning. The interviewees also expressed strong inclination to integrate and, therefore, to identify with the target linguistic and cultural norms. Notwithstanding, a number of opposing voices were raised by some learners who resisted identity reconstruction through language learning, claiming that they learned English simply for the sake of instrumental, as opposed to integrative, purposes. These participants also levelled criticisms at what they viewed as ‘the imposition of Western values on an Islamic country’. The results highlight the vital role of motivation and the status of English as an international language in viewing, redefining and reconstructing identity. In conclusion, the findings confirm the role of discursive practices, power relations, solidarity and otherising with regard to identity reconstruction in the course of second language (L2) learning.
format	article
author	Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d
author_facet	Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d
author_sort	Seyyed Hatam Tamimi Sa’d
title	Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
title_short	Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
title_full	Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
title_fullStr	Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
title_full_unstemmed	Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power
title_sort	foreign language learning and identity reconstruction: learners’ understanding of the intersections of the self, the other and power
publisher	University of Ljubljana
publishDate	2017
url	https://doaj.org/article/9465a50f732c4d90875c94c07462492e
work_keys_str_mv	AT seyyedhatamtamimisad foreignlanguagelearningandidentityreconstructionlearnersunderstandingoftheintersectionsoftheselftheotherandpower
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Foreign Language Learning and Identity Reconstruction: Learners’ Understanding of the Intersections of the Self, the Other and Power

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