Second Language Play as a Representation of the Multicompetent Self in Foreign Language Study

Abstract

In this article I link 3 areas that have recently attracted (renewed) interest in second language acquisition (SLA) and applied linguistics research: (a) first language (L1) use in adult foreign language study; (b) adult second language (L2) play; and (c) adult language learner identity. In mainstream approaches to SLA and utilitarian conceptualizations of foreign language learning, L1 use typically is considered detrimental to L2 acquisition; L2 play is a superfluous activity that detracts from the serious business of language learning; analyst-sensitive examinations of learner-internal mechanisms in the process of SLA are emphasized over learner-sensitive studies of the language learner's identity in sociocultural context. Recent work, however, has brought new evaluations of these 3 areas. Antón and DiCamilla (1998) have found that L1 use may function as an advantageous metacognitive tool in L2 acquisition. Both Lantolf (1997, 2000) and Tarone (2000) have recently advanced theories of form-based L2 play in which play functions in the acquisition of L2 forms. Norton (2000) has investigated the importance of learners' social identity in L2 learning and use in the context of Canadian immigration. In this article, I suggest a new role for adult form-based L2 play in SLA theorizing. This type of play may not only aid in the acquisition of L2 forms but may also serve as a textual icon for learners' growing multicompetence (i.e., the distinct state of mind with 2 or more grammars; V. Cook, 1991, 1992). Multicompetence may have meaning for learners' sense of self and their ways of interacting with the world. Multilingual form-based play with language names (e.g., "English" and "German") and syntax in the written texts of advanced tutored learners of German are examined.