Language matters
Identity construction: fostering student agency Niki Cooper-Robbins on practical ways to gather data around students’ own perceptions of their linguistic repertoire and ability
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impact the wellbeing of a learner. From that point onwards, discussions and activities were factored into my lessons to broach this subject further. The motivation was fourfold: to help students celebrate existing strengths in their language repertoire, to emphasise the interconnected nature of languages, to understand the acquisition process, and to offer reassurance that although the frustration is normal, it will eventually pass. In an attempt to understand better the behaviours of my students, I researched the concept of identity construction, rooted within the field of sociolinguistics and language ideologies. This area explores the relationship between language and identity. As outlined by Blackledge & Pavlenko, the key characteristic is that language and identity are a process of ‘ongoing construction, negotiation and renegotiation of identities in multilingual settings’ (2001:243). There are also societal influences determined by the ‘dominant majority group’ (2001:243) and this informs attitudes towards Summer |
Winter
Allow me to begin by describing one of the worst moments in my teaching career. This is not the usual protocol when wanting to share good practice. However, without this incident, it’s unlikely that these developments would have transpired. Whilst supporting a young Arabic speaker with the reading of a simple story book, I employed the strategy of encouraging her through praise. Genuinely impressed with her progress, I commented on how well she was doing. She stopped, turned to me with the most frustrated expression, and said ‘But Arabic I read very good.’ My heart sank, and the realisation that students can have very different, often negative, perceptions of their own ability in a new language really struck a chord with me. My well-intended efforts to encourage her had been received as patronising and insensitive. With my proverbial wrist firmly slapped, I had been made acutely aware that language learning isn’t just a developmental process of acquiring skills. More significantly, it is also an emotional journey that has the potential to
| 2020
