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Motivation and identity in language learning: current perspectives

Motivation and identity in language learning: current perspectives. Ema Ushioda Centre for Applied Linguistics University of Warwick. Background. ‘ given motivation , it is inevitable that a human being will learn a second language, if he is exposed to the language data’ (Corder 1967: 164)

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Motivation and identity in language learning: current perspectives

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  1. Motivation and identity in language learning:current perspectives Ema Ushioda Centre for Applied Linguistics University of Warwick

  2. Background • ‘given motivation, it is inevitable that a human being will learn a second language, if he is exposed to the language data’ (Corder 1967: 164) • Four decades of change since then … globalisation and global spread of English • Language motivation theory only recently catching up with these changes …

  3. What does ‘integrative motivation’ mean now? • Reflecting ‘a sincere and personal interest in the people and culture represented by the other group’ (Gardner & Lambert 1972: 132) • Strong versus weak forms • The case of English as global language (Crystal 2003) and English as basic educational skill (Graddol 2006) – who is the target reference group? • Critical voices: Pavlenko (2002), Coetzee-Van Rooy (2006)

  4. Re-theorising language motivation • ‘international posture’ (Yashima 2002, 2009) • Theoretical shift of focus to internal domain of self and identity • Dörnyei & Csizér 2002; Dörnyei et al. 2006 • Theory of possible selves (Markus & Nurius 1986) • L2 Motivational Self System (Dörnyei 2005, 2009): ideal and ought-to selves • Motivation and identity (Lamb 2004, 2009)

  5. Motivation and identity:language learners as people • Motivation theory has tended to focus on models and learners as abstractions • Limitations of linear models: Sean’s story … • Current shift in focus to self and identity  need to address real social identities people bring to the language classroom • ‘Understanding second language learners as people’ (Lantolf & Pavlenko 2001) • Person-in-context relational view of motivation (Ushioda 2009)

  6. Person-in-context relational view of motivation (Ushioda 2009) A focus on real persons, rather than on learners as theoretical abstractions; a focus on the agency of the individual person as a thinking, feeling, human being, with an identity, a personality, a unique history and background; a person with goals, motives and intentions; a focus on the interactions between this self-reflective agent, and the fluid and complex web of social relations, activities, experiences and multiple micro- and macro-contexts in which the person is embedded, moves and is inherently part of. We need to take a relational (rather than linear) view of these multiple contextual elements and see motivation as an organic process that emerges through the complex system of interrelations.

  7. Insights from autonomytheory & practice • A concern with the learner as a fully rounded person, with a social identity, situated in a particular context (Riley 2003:239) • Encourage Ss to develop and express their own identities through the language they are learning • Legenhausen 1999: comparing conversation practice in traditional communicative vs autonomous classrooms

  8. German students in traditional communicative classroom (Legenhausen 1999) S: How old are you? A: I’m twelve years old. And you? S: Eleven. A: Ehm. Do you live in a house or in a flat? S: I live in a house in Olfen. A: I live in a flat in Olfen, too. (..) Ehm, eh. S: What’s your telephone number? A: My telephone number is three five seven five, and what’s your tele / telephone number? S: My telephone number is ehm three two two two (..) A: Ah, ah, do you like school? S: Yes, sometimes.

  9. Danish students in ‘autonomous’ classroom (Legenhausen 1999) C: What shall we talk about? M: I don’t know. What do you think? C: Ah, we could talk about yesterday. M: Ok. C: [What did you?] M: [What did you?] (laughing) M: What did you do? C: Well, I went home from school, and I write (..) some some music for my music group. M: Yeah. C: We shall play here Friday, after school, we have (..) borrowed a a room with drums and guitars, and so (..) we’re going to (..) record a tape, with our songs. M: How many are you in your group?

  10. Speaking as themselves: motivation & transportable identities • Richards 2006: analysis of classroom talk (drawing on Zimmerman 1998) • situated identities (T – S, doctor – patient) • discourse identities (initiator, questioner …) • transportable identities (mother of two, keen tennis player, avid science fiction fan) • Motivational impact of invoking Ss’ own transportable identities in classroom talk

  11. And the motivational consequences of not orienting to Ss’ own transportable identities in the language classroom …? • Student: I am feeling bad. My grandfather he die last week and I am … • Teacher: No – not die – say died because it’s in the past (Scrivener 1994:19)

  12. Motivation, transportable identities & future possible selves • Future possible selves (ideal & ought-to selves) can have strong psychological reality in the current imaginative experiences of learners (Dörnyei 2009) • Engaging Ss’ transportable identities and ‘selves’ through L2 use now  may help them imagine future possible selves as L2 users

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