Abstract
Two concepts of multilingualism that relate to the selves aspect of Dörnyei’s (2009) L2 motivational self system (L2MSS) are highlighted in this article: Thompson’s concept of perceived positive language interaction (PPLI) and Henry’s notion of the ideal multilingual self. With the dynamic model of multilingualism informing both concepts (Herdina & Jessner, 2002; Jessner, 2006, 2008), the intangible advantage that multilingual speakers have over monolingual speakers is clearly articulated in the discussion of this topic. The interconnectivity of language systems is an inherent aspect of the DMM; as such, both Thompson with PPLI and Henry with the ideal multilingual self incorporate the DMM as a framework to indicate the fluid nature of these constructs as additional language learning experiences are added to the system over time. This article further explores the dynamicity of multilingual learners’ language systems and the influences that induce change. Specifically, data from Thompson’s (2017b) study on LOTE learners are re-examined to explore this question. Additionally, excerpts from Natasha Lvovich’s (1997) The Multilingual Self, an autobiography of an L1 Russian speaker, are analyzed to present different possible models of incorporating the multilingual self and PPLI. The article ends with a discussion of an inherently multilingual context, as well as thoughts regarding the possibility of different types of future selves.
Highlights
Two recent frameworks used in motivation and multilingualism research to illustrate the cognitive representations of learners’ language systems are Thompson’s theory of perceived positive language interaction (PPLI, 2016) and Henry’s (2017) concept of the ideal multilingual self. Both of these constructs incorporate the dynamic model of multilingualism (DMM; Herdina & Jessner, 2002; Jessner, 2006, 2008) in their overarching theoretical development
The answers are oftentimes used as examples of specific themes, but for a quantitative analysis, learners are placed into PPLI and NPPLI groups based on the answers to these questions
PPLI and the self concepts have primarily been situated in contexts in which multilingualism is a learned phenomenon
Summary
Qui suis-je? ¿Quién soy? Ben kimim? Who am I? This is a question that resonates with all of us, no matter in which language the question is formulated. The languages we use, and the way that we are exposed to them, are at the epicenter of our conceptualization of self. The conceptualization of self is much more complex than a learner expressing first person singular differently in a variety of languages. Mercer and Williams (2014) dedicated an edited volume to the variety of ways that the self can be conceptualized in SLA. In the same volume, Ushioda (2014) elaborates on the many internal and external self-related cognitions that are related to language learning motivation: Factors internal to the self include the various self-related cognitions briefly mentioned earlier (i.e., cognitions by the self and cognitions about the self), as well as attitudinal and affective factors (e.g., enjoyment, anxiety) and individual characteristics (e.g., gender, developmental age, personality). Individuals with more than one language learning experience do not experience learning subsequent languages in the same way as those who are starting with the native language as the only linguistic system to which they have access
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