Linguistic Identity Research Articles

Becoming and being language teacher educators: a collaborative reflexive account

ABSTRACT In this study we employed reflexivity as a typology and a means to foster our own becoming and being as language teacher educators (LTEs). Specifically, drawing on reflexivity as mutual collaboration, we engaged in duoethnography where we were researcher-participants in each other’s narratives, with the capacity to be reflexive beings. We collaboratively inquired into our own and one another’s professional trajectories, demonstrating how our journeys of becoming and being LTEs were characterised by our social and linguistic identities, our work and interaction with language teachers, and the research and teaching praxis. Findings and discussion advocate a dialogue in the field, acknowledging the dispositions, challenges, and possibilities that reflexivity can offer for LTEs’ trajectories.

The Impact of Native and Foreign Languages on the Linguistic Identity Formation of Kazakhstani Youth

This article delves into the influence of native and foreign languages on the linguistic identity of Kazakhstani youth. The primary focus is on analyzing the perception and utilization of languages among young people in Kazakhstan, exploring how these factors impact their self-identification and cultural affiliation. To gather comprehensive empirical data, an extensive experiment was conducted involving both survey and semi-structured interviews. The results of the study revealed that the knowledge and use of foreign languages, alongside the native language, significantly shape the linguistic identity of the youth. The findings underscore the dual importance of preserving the native language while simultaneously embracing foreign languages, which collectively contribute to the development of a rich, multicultural, and multilingual identity. This balance is crucial for fostering a well-rounded and inclusive linguistic environment in Kazakhstan.

The Impact of Linguistic Identity on the Perception of Abai’s Poetry

This scientific article explores the complexities and prospects of creating a poetic corpus of Abai Kunanbayev. The project's primary objective is to digitize and annotate Abai's poetry, addressing challenges such as accessibility to diverse sources, linguistic barriers, technical issues, and cultural interpretations. The article discusses the methods used in digitizing and annotating Abai's poetry, including linguistic analysis and thematic classification. It presents the results obtained from the creation of the corpus, highlighting its significance in preserving Kazakh cultural heritage and advancing scholarly research. The discussion explores the implications of the corpus for linguistic studies, educational initiatives, and international collaborations in digital humanities. The conclusion reflects on the project's achievements, outlines future directions for expanding the corpus, and emphasizes its role in promoting and preserving Abai Kunanbayev literary legacy.

Vroegmiddeleeuwse funeraire diversiteit en de diepste dialectgrenzen in de Nederlanden

The most prominent dialect boundaries in the Dutch language area run from north to south, ending in the southwest between the rivers Scheldt and Dender. Notably, one isogloss separates an eastern region with long vowels fronted by i-umlaut, from a western region lacking that feature. This paper examines the main historical linguistic perspectives on the origins of this complex phenomenon integrating historical and archaeological evidence. A general explanation for the dialect boundaries posits a confrontation between an Ingvaeonic or North Sea Germanic movement from the west and a Frankish movement from the (north)east. The stabilisation of this confrontation, particularly the umlaut-isogloss between the Scheldt and the Dender, remains unresolved and is one of the most intriguing aspects of the Germanic colonisation of the region. Although historical sources are sparse, recent archaeological research has provided new insights. Archaeology, which studies human traces left in the ground - including living forms, artefacts, agriculture and burial practices – has revealed that early medieval cremation rites coincide with the umlaut-isogloss in that region, revealing a convergence between archaeological and historical linguistic evidence. Northern populations, familiar with Ingvaeonic customs, practised cremation, giving the oldest Ingvaeonic elements in the Low Countries both a cultural and linguistic identity. Alongside the Franks, the Saxons also contributed significantly to the colonisation history of the area. Therefore, it is essential to outline the historical knowledge of the first appearances of the Saxons, Franks and Thuringians and their interactions. Contemporary sources such as the Byzantine author Procopius (c. 550) are valuable for a better understanding of colonisation on both sides of the Channel and the North Sea. The roots of the umlaut-isoglosses in the Ingvaeonic continuum prompt a discussion of Ingvaeonisms and their early manifestations, including place names ending in -inga haim, within the broader context of the Dutch-Roman language boundary.

The construction of linguistic identities in talk about food among Tibetan heritage language learners

ABSTRACT This ethnographic article examines the interactional processes through which Tibetan-Canadian heritage language learners agentively construct their linguistic identities in everyday family interactions. Because food is centrally involved in family routines, as well as broader cultural practices and the articulation of individual tastes, talk about food provides a site for analyzing negotiations of individual agency amid expressions of shared identity. Drawing from previous language socialisation scholarship that approaches family meal times as a resource for constructing identity, this paper analyzes children’s conversations at meal-times, during food preparation, and about food preferences. Through interactional analysis of twelve months of longitudinal video ethnography in two Tibetan-Canadian families, I found that, in these activities centered on food, children used multilingual and multimodal resources to negotiate authority over their cultural and linguistic knowledge. Specifically, children agentively displayed their knowledge of Tibetan language forms, elaborated on their capacities to participate in cultural activities, and instructed parents about their individual preferences. By analyzing these interactional displays of knowledge through the concepts of agency and co-operative action, I argue that children construct their identities as speakers of Tibetan, despite the dominance of English in their language repertoires.

Translanguaging for Linguistically Proud Mathematics Classrooms

Using translanguaging, we empower emergent bilinguals to express themselves and engage in rigorous mathematics. We highlight how translanguaging supports linguistic identities, creates inclusive environments, and enhances learning.

재외동포 다문화가정 부모와 자녀의 언어·문화 정체의식 발달 연구 -프랑스 거주 한-불 가정 이중언어 교육과 정체성 함양을 중심으로-

This study used qualitative research methods to analyze the practical aspects of bilingual education and the processes of linguistic and cultural identity formation among the second generation of Korean-French multicultural families settled in France through international marriage. The findings are as follows: First, children's acquisition of bilingualism is influenced by their parents' attitudes toward bilingual education, with the French father's role having a greater impact on a family's linguistic balance than the Korean mother's. These findings highlight how parents' linguistic roles affect the dynamics of culture and language within a family, necessitating a reconsideration of bilingual education. Second, the challenges of bilingual education include setting a standard for bilingualism, addressing issues related to language mixing, and managing differences in the status of languages. Third, the correlation between bilingualism and identity formation suggests that when an individual's linguistic identity and cultural belonging are harmoniously integrated, a stronger sense of identity emerges. Additionally, the linguistic and cultural challenges faced by bilingual children and the process of overcoming those challenges are integral to their identity formation process. This research offers valuable insights into bilingual education for children from multicultural families and their cultural identity development, addressing the relatively insufficient studies on the complex identity issues faced by children of multicultural families living abroad.

Analysis of Code Mixing in The Speech of Coastal Communities

This study aims to explore the phenomenon of code mixing in the speech of coastal communities of Karang Tawulan Beach, Tasikmalaya Regency. This study describes how local communities utilize code mixing between Sundanese, Indonesian, and foreign languages ​​to form and maintain their linguistic identity. In addition, this study identifies the complexity of the influence of globalization that arises from interactions with tourists and immigrants from various backgrounds. The method used is descriptive qualitative with a sociolinguistic approach, emphasizing in-depth analysis of oral and written data. The results of the study indicate that code mixing is in the form of word insertion, phrases, and word repetition. Influencing factors include speech partners, communication situations, and communication goals. This study provides important insights into communication strategies in multilingual societies and suggests significant contributions to the development of language and education policies in the era of globalization, with the aim of supporting the preservation of regional languages ​​in Indonesia.

Apuntes sobre el estándar del Río de la Plata

Within the theoretical framework inspired by Coserian functionalism, this article aims to show, for the case of Rioplatense Spanish, that varieties constitute a continuum within regional, representational and historical spaces, and this crossover must be described in order to understand the functioning of this variety as a regional standard. The article focuses on the analysis of Rioplatense to illustrate the methodological productivity entailed in understanding the concepts of "reference standard" and "empirical standard" as mobile and diffuse categories. The paper shows some features of this non-dominant variety, which at the same time has a strong projection at the national level and even on the Spanish regional space. In order to highlight the crossover variables, firstly the article provides a brief context of speakers' attitudes towards the variety, and later presents four current cases in which the Rioplatense linguistic standard is tensioned by a cluster of factors: the transfer of the Spanish proficiency exam CELU from an Argentine public institution to a private peninsular agency; the attention to the Real Academia Española in the Argentine national linguistic legislation; the differentiated processes of linguistic identification that Argentine speakers manifest before the Spanish of dubbing; and, finally, the management of non-normative spelling ruled by the new technologies of the written word.

THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE IDEOLOGY ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT CONSIDERING BENGALI LANGUAGE CLASSROOM USERS, AND OTHERS USING THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, WHICH IS A BARRIER TO LEARNING

This paper determines and analyses the problems faced by Bengali Medium students, and how Bengali medium students are treated negatively and thus affect their outcomes, at university. This research paper has been made based on secondary and primary data which the researcher analyzes and graphical representation. The researcher structured a survey questionnaire on a sample size 30. The researcher focused on the actual problems that are being faced by Bengali medium students at university. Also, the researcher tried to find out why Bengali medium students were treated negatively by many faculty members and tried to find out whether these problems are affecting the student’s achievement or not; the researcher also tried to take some suggestions from the students about how can we reduce the problems. A mixed-method approach was considered in writing this paper. With the use of a Likert scale for collecting the primary data from the students was collected. After analyzing these data, the researcher focused on collecting secondary data. Secondary data were collected from different sources i.e. online journals, online articles, and some web pages. KEYWORDS: pedagogical practices, language proficiency, multilingualism, linguistic identity, language barriers

Linguistic identity play in zones of interculturality

Ladino, the heritage language for many Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria and beyond, is often discussed in terms of language endangerment and of cultural loss for this community and humanity more widely. However, for intercultural communication specialists, especially those with a linguistic focus, the Ladino experiences of Sephardic Jews in Bulgaria, as set against the backdrop of their changing political and social realities, provide rich insights regarding the linguistic complexities of identity. Through the Ladino-framed narratives of (often elderly) members of this community, I have learned how they drew, and continue to draw, upon their diverse linguistic and cultural resources to define themselves, to articulate their various identities, and to communicate within and beyond Bulgarian society. In order to connect these insights to current discussions of interculturality, and as informed by intercultural thinking, I present the following five-zone framework: (1) the (intra-)personal, that is a zone of internal dialogue; (2) the domestic, that is a zone for the family; (3) the local, that is a zone for the Sephardic community in Bulgaria; (4) the diasporic, that is a zone for the wider Sephardic Jewish community; and (5) the international, that is the international community of Spanish-speakers. Further, the project presented here is methodologically innovative involving several languages, i.e. it was researched multilingually as well as focused on multilingual communities. /Keywords: workshop, education, interculturality, linguistic identity play

Linguistic Identity of Students in the Juliaca Public Pedagogical Higher Education School

Objective: The objective is to describe the linguistic identity of the students of the Juliaca Public Pedagogical Higher Education School from the various Quechua and Aymara-speaking ecozones of the Puno region. Theoretical Framework: This research deals with linguistic identity of the students, in the context the use of the Spanish language in communication is a priority, as it is considered an official language. In the research we confirmed that the students have a favorable linguistic identity towards the Quechua and Aymara languages, because these languages have utility value and a symbol of cultural identity in the Puno region. In addition, in intercultural educational policies the use of the Quechua and Aymara languages is recognized. Therefore, it is essential to use it in the family, communal and institutional context. Method: The most predominant qualitative-ethnographic methodology was used, complemented by the quantitative methodology, as well as with the help of interview, participant observation and performance techniques, which allowed us to glimpse linguistic identities. The research sample considered was 128 students, with a statistical affixation in a proportional manner, according to the student population of each specialty of the school. Results: The study glimpses the identity with the Quechua, Aymara and Spanish languages. The results show the factors that influence the student to prefer to speak in Spanish and not in Quechua or Aymara and finally the perceptions about the linguistic identity of the students, in the context of coexistence in the higher education institution and in the family. Contribution: In this research we glimpse the existence of the diversity of languages linked to the different linguistic families; Spanish as the official language is spoken in various institutional spaces and Quechua and Aymara in communal and family contexts.

Revisiting Student Stories: Understanding Microaggressions and Interpersonal Conflict Within Speech-Language and Hearing Sciences Training Programs.

The current study revisits our previous research, delving deeper into microaggressions (MAs) and interpersonal conflict (IC) in speech, language, and hearing sciences (SLHS) training programs. Participants came from both marginalized and nonmarginalized backgrounds. A 39-item electronic survey based on our previous research was distributed online to 236 participants of current and former SLHS students through social media and e-mail listservs. Students that identified as belonging to marginalized and nonmarginalized groups reported high levels of MAs and IC, respectively. Linear regression revealed that the more marginalized identities a participant reported, the more aggression they experienced. Analyses also suggest that specific cultural and linguistic identities more likely predicted experiencing specific types of MAs than others. MAs and IC were largely underreported. This study highlights the quantifiable prevalence of MAs and IC in SLHS training programs. It underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to address systemic inequities. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of fostering an inclusive and equitable environment in SLHS, promoting cultural competence, and social justice in the professions. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27105613.

“For my daughter is not the same, for sure”: learners’ and parents’ attitudes towards home language maintenance and development

ABSTRACT Heritage languages (HL) require special pedagogical resources, and from a sociolinguistic perspective, their status may vary, influencing learners’ and educators’ attitudes. In the case of Portuguese as an HL (PHL) in the German educational context, due to a limited institutionalised offer, non-formal settings prevail as a means of language development. In this ethnographic case study, we present the attitudes of parents and PHL learners in a socio-educational project that promotes bilingual education in Munich, Germany. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with parents, whereas with children, a focus group was set up using visual narratives. This study addressed two questions: How do parents’ and learners’ linguistic attitudes in this specific context differ? How do their beliefs concerning linguistic identity influence the home language maintenance? The results pointed to the convergent affective dimension of PHL. Concerning identity influence in home language maintenance, language attitudes result from different statuses assigned to PHL. While parents see PHL as a means of transmitting their ethnolinguistic identity, children's representations revealed different perceptions prevailing ‘home and family language’ status and a sense of fluid belonging, thus showing an emergent multilingual identity characterised by cultural hybridity.

Code-Switching in Multilingual Communities: A Sociolinguistic Study in Ireland

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the code-switching in multilingual communities: a sociolinguistic study in Ireland. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In a sociolinguistic study on code-switching in multilingual communities in Ireland, researchers found that code-switching serves as a vital communicative tool among bilingual speakers, facilitating social interaction and identity expression. The study revealed that individuals often switch languages to navigate different cultural contexts, signal group membership, and convey nuanced meanings that are culturally specific. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Sociolinguistic theory, speech accommodation theory & translanguaging theory may be used to anchor future studies on the code-switching in multilingual communities: a sociolinguistic study in Ireland. Educators should adopt inclusive pedagogical strategies that recognize code-switching as a legitimate form of communication within the classroom, allowing students to explore their linguistic identities. Educational policies should mandate the incorporation of bilingual education programs that respect and utilize code-switching as a learning tool, promoting teacher training programs that equip educators with the skills to support multilingual students.

Indigenization of Pakistani English in Kanza Javed’s Ashes, Wine and Dust

This article explores the indigenization of English in Pakistan in Kanza Javed’s English novel ‘Ashes, Wine and Dust’. This exploratory and interpretative research employed a close reading of the novel to analyse lexical borrowing in Pakistani English, utilising a note-taking technique to identify incorporated Urdu words, examining linguistic features such as semantic fields. The analysis following established frameworks that focus on lexical borrowing and variation as reflections of socio-linguistic practices. The research aimed to explore two key questions regarding lexical variation in this novel. First, the study examined how Javed incorporates various lexical borrowing in her novel. These include words related to food, living styles, clothing, forms of address and titles, religious terms, Indo-Pak history, traditional wedding events, ethnic identity, languages representing cultural identity, and places symbolizing cultural heritage. Each of these categories reflects the rich cultural and historical context of Pakistan. Second, the study analysed how these lexical variations reflect socio-linguistic practices in Pakistani English. The novel shows the use of code-switching and compounding, two prominent features of Pakistani English that highlight the engaging language use between Urdu and English, blending them to create a distinct linguistic identity. By integrating these cultural-specific words, the writer aims to enhance the authenticity of the story and connect with a broader audience. This shows how language variation reflects the socio-linguistic norms of Pakistani society.

Языковая личность синхронного переводчика: тезаурусный (лингвокогнитивный) уровень

The paper aims to identify the representatives of the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level of the professional linguistic personality of a simultaneous interpreter through verbal means. The author conducts the research within the framework of the linguo-functional approach. To achieve the stated aim, the researcher examines the phenomenon of the linguistic personality as such, distinguishes between the related concepts of “linguistic personality” and “linguistic identity”, and offers a theoretical justification for the formation of a working definition of the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level and the language units included in it. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level of the linguistic personality of a simultaneous interpreter is considered from the perspective of the linguo-functional approach. The author proposes a methodology for exploring the thesaurus (linguocognitive) level to determine and analyze representatives reflecting the individual’s linguistic model of the world. Examples of analyzing representatives at different levels (the level of verbal representation, the level of conceptual sphere representation, the level of extralinguistic representation) demonstrate the breadth of the thesaurus level of a simultaneous interpreter in a communication situation of translation, taking into account the manifestation of available background and special knowledge in translation.

Elizabeth Acevedo, Laura Esquivel, and the Politics of Multilingualism

AbstractA number of bloggers, journalists, teachers, and librarians have compared Elizabeth Acevedo’s 2019 young adult novel With the Fire on High with Laura Esquivel’s Como agua para chocolate (1989), recommending that fans of Esquivel’s work pick up Acevedo’s—and vice versa. These suggestions echo Acevedo’s own comments about the narrative, which she has characterized as “parecido a ‘Como agua para chocolate,’ pero en el barrio” (Acevedo & Pichardo, 2019). This article takes this recent reception history as an invitation to think through how With the Fire on High deepens and course-corrects the revolutionary path of Esquivel’s earlier text. More specifically, I interrogate how Acevedo and Esquivel engage with linguistic identities and with multilingualism in particular as source material for political resistance and healing. Acevedo, like Esquivel before her, represents multilingual identities in ways that disrupt and resist the neocolonial violence of the United States. However, whereas Como agua para chocolate’s references to minoritized languages are executed in a manner that threatens to reinscribe traumatizing ethnoracial and class hierarchies passed down via colonial history, multilingualism in Acevedo’s novel works more systemically to intervene in and undermine such established matrices of power. Acevedo participates in a project of linguistic resistance and healing that involves reclaiming a heritage language for a multiply marginalized protagonist and, through that act of reclamation, rejecting the received cultural wisdom propagated by both colonial and neocolonial systems.

“Who Do We Think We Are?”

For many, professional teacher identities begin to develop purposefully and dynamically during the discussions and activities that happen during formal teacher education. Of course, identity formation begins much earlier in one’s lifetime and is influenced by variables such as biographic and cultural background, as well as life experiences. This study aims to explore the narrated identities of L1 and L2 English-speaking TESOL student teachers undertaking an MA TESOL programme at an Irish university. The data from questionnaires and focus groups, analysed through thematic corpus-based discourse analysis, reveal that three major factors contribute to the formation of the professional identities of the TESOL student teachers. These are (1) cultural identity; (2) linguistic identity; and (3) status as student teachers. Discussions highlight the specific details of each from the point of view of both L1 and L2 English-speaking student teachers. The conclusion suggests future pathways for the critical exploration of identity-related issues as a key imperative for student teachers during teacher-education programmes.

Adult immigrant students’ identity positioning and english-only ideologies in the US: a quantCrit case study

This QuantCrit case study examines how adult emergent multilingual language learners (EMLLs) attending English language skills classes at a public school district in the US construct their linguistic identities in response to English-only ideologies. The small sample size was limited to adults enrolled in the program (n = 19), as this study is intended to be duplicated in different spaces to account for multilingual and cultural diversity. The study asks the question, how do adult EMLLs attending an English class position themselves and their perceived English fluency? To answer this question, participants completed a mixed-methods survey that addresses demographics, languages, perception of one’s own language ability, and perception of what others think about one’s language abilities. The findings were analyzed through the lens of Darvin and Norton’s (2015) Model of Identity Investment that considers identity, ideology, and capital and the raciolinguistics perspective (Flores and Rosa 2015). The results indicate that there is a significant relationship between English-only ideologies and participants’ constructed linguistic identities and reveal a troubled relationship between the way participants position themselves against the deficit-oriented perceptions of English-only speaking Americans. Overall, the results emphasize the importance of centering adult EMLLs’ linguistic and cultural transnational assets in designing curricula, policy, and research.