Mutual Relations of Identity and Foreign Language Learning: An Overview of Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Approaches to Identity

Abstract

How language shapes and is shaped by identity is a key topic within sociolinguistics (Riley, 2007). An individual's identity is constituted through a variety of different factors, including the social, territorial, linguistic, cultural, political, religious and ethnic contexts. It helps us know who we are and how social identities are negotiated. The traditional views of the sociology of knowledge and ethnolinguistics on the role of being socially 'other' largely neglect the role of language on one hand. On the other hand, although the expression of self and emotions has been considered one of the principal functions of language, it has largely been neglected by linguists. This study, bridging this gap in mind, examines the effect of identity as a self image in language and on the contrary, the effect of language in identity formation. Also, attempt is made to gain insight into the study of linguistic approaches to identity as far as foreign language learning (FLL) is concerned. Mutual and dynamic relation between identity and language learning and more specifically foreign language learning was realized.