The Construction of Social Identity

I found these articles very interesting because I feel everyone is unique and capable of changing their identity. It is evident that different factors affect their identity formation. The affective filter is so important for teachers to not only understand, but to take action with. When I studied abroad in Spain, I had a very low affective filter. I was highly motivated to succeed and conquer the Spanish language and my host family was extremely supportive of my language abilities. I felt completely comfortable speaking and practicing Spanish around them. That is the type of classroom environment I want to have when I am a teacher- one that is accepting and engaging. Krashen states that comprehensible input in the presence of a low affective filter is a major causal variable in second language acquisition. The information presented to the child should not be "too easy" nor "too hard" but rather intellectually stimulate them enough to spark motivation and knowledge growth. Norton's article on Social Identity also stated that even if learners have a high affective filter, they still must invest in the target language to speak it. This investment must be understood as it relates to the mutiple, changing, contradictory identities of these language learners.

One thing I really want to encourage my students to do is claim their rights to speak in the L2 outside of the classroom. The smaller the distance between language learners and the target group language speakers, the better. These social interactions are so crucial and insightful and really allows children to practice what they are learning in the classroom and begin applying it to the real world to see how much it pays off (thus hopefully lowering their affective filters!)

All this being said, I think it would be beneficial to list out the objectives Norton referenced in his article:
1. Investigate opportunities to interact with target language speakers.
2. Reflect critically on engagement with target language speakers. (what happened? why? how?)
3. Reflect on oberservations in diaries or journals. (while developing writing skills!)
4. Pay attention to and record unusual events. (what made these interactions unusual? cultural differences? social context?)
5. Compare data with fellow students and researchers. (collaboration and meaningful exchange of info!)

Norton's Language and Identity article had even more interesting ideas. I liked what he said about how a learner that is engaged in textual practices (comprehension and construction of the text) is mediated by the learner's investment in the activity and the learner's identity. This really caught my attention because I recently helped start a bilingual Reader's Theater program at a recent school. I feel the students will greatly benefit from it- both in their literacy skills and confidence skills. Acting out a script will allow them to express themselves and learn how it feels, which in turn will help them linguistically I hope!

Norton talked a lot about immigration and how assimilation looks more like secularization sometimes (with religion, for example). I think it is very important that we guard our words and make others feel completely welcome and free to express and share their opinions! Early Asian immigrants didn't see American culture as something that belonged to them and they didn't see how they could contribute to it. I find this extremely sad because their rich culture has so much to offer! No one should feel like an outsider. Another sad but fascinating fact Norton brought up was how national identity was negotiable for European immigrants but non-negotoable for members of racial minorities. I feel we still have such problems circulating the US. English was so often viewed as the key to assimilation, but is Americanization all that it is cut out to be? Perhaps there is more to other cultures than we even want to dare consider. Looking back in time, we may never know which memoirs were never even published. It is likely that only the "happy linguistic assimilation" stories were told. Links between language and identity that are depicted, or deleted, in immigrant autobiographies are critically influenced by sociohistorical contexts where the authors learned and used their languages to produce the narratives, says Norton.

Too often, Americans prefer to Americanize foreigners and keep them at a safe distance, distinguishing "us" from "them." Norton says, "There is a reinforced link between monolinguialism and Americanness that prompted late 20th century immigrant writers to see second language learning as painful to negotiate their linguistic identities and defend or give up their right or even desire to be bilingual." That is not how I want my students to feel.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Norton's articles on the construction of social identity. There is always a lot of information brought up to me that makes me want to continue to strive to be the best, most competent bilingual educator I can be!

Extra Credit Speaker Event

I had the privelege of attending the guest speaker today in the English Department. It was very interesting. I really liked one of the analogies I heard. A group of girls learned how to best play darts when they observed how NOT to play, not just how TO play. That is a lot like language acquisition. It is sometimes helpful to know how NOT to speak or what mistakes are commonly made. It is also beneficial to note one's own errors.

Research papers are important for student growth, but we must not underestimate the importance of a student going through the process of distinguishing what is important and worth including (evaluation and analyzing). Reading purposefully and being selective about what one reads is also an important skill.

Overall, the speaker noted four important objectives for students.
1. Analyzing and negotating tasks.
2. Selectively and purposefully choosing what to read.
3. How to take (appropriate) notes (context).
4. Integrating sources into texts.

One activity the speaker had us do was get a group of four "students" in the center and have them discuss a problem, its cause, its solutions, and evaluation. Then the other students would cite these four students and practice this process. It was very interesting. We talked about different ways of citing people according to strength measurement.

Lastly, one activity students can do is have others evaluate a book that they themselves really like or dislike and then see how others' opinions may contrast with their own.

Overall, I found my time with the speaker very beneficial and intellectually stimulating and I am glad I went!

The Art of Culture

I look forward to being a bilingual educator not just to enrich the learning process through the use of two languages, but also to form a multicultural community accepted and encouraged by all. I really enjoyed Hinkel’s chapter about “Second Culture Acquisition” and whether adults can truly acquire a second culture. It was interesting how many people who live in a non-native country for an extended time still don’t feel as though they truly belong. I lived in Spain for five months and definitely experienced a different culture, such as their late meals, siesta time, and laid back lifestyle. While abroad, I fully embraced each of these aspects so I truly did feel as though I belonged. However, I realize it is hard for many people to do this, as it takes risk and vulnerability to live in a new way. According to Vygotsky, cultural development appears twice, both on a social plane and psychological plane. Actually immersing one’s self in a new culture and lifestyle proves to help one acquire a second culture in a more meaningful way than just in a classroom environment learning about another culture. The readings this week inspired me to share what I learned and what I experienced from each of the seven countries I traveled to while studying abroad. Vygotsky made another good point in saying that the organization of concepts varies across cultures. For example, the English language uses the word ‘candle’ while the Mayan say “one long thin wax.” This reminds me of another TESOL class I took where we learned that different languages and cultures around the world have different counting systems. In the United States, we count to ten using our fingers. However, in some areas, people count the spaces in between their fingers instead of counting their actual fingers and end up with eight. As Bourdieu stated, cultural formation foundation has early on-set and the power of culture is developed with the habitus, which I will discuss later.

The Wintergerst article entitled, “Exploring Culture,” offered some very applicable classroom points and ideas. Something I really liked was the idea that students are linguistically corrected often, especially in their second language, but tend to miss chances to increase cultural knowledge through correction. For example, if a student does not learn early on to raise his or her hand before answering a question, they may be embarrassed in high school when they call out the answer out of turn.  I know many of my international friends are used to hugging or kissing on the cheek when greeting others, but in the US this may be frowned upon, especially within certain contexts. Many students enter school thinking that their values and beliefs are the norm. This is not the case, and it is important to gently show students the many different cultures enveloped in the world.

I like the idea of Big C vs Lower c. It is a great way to teach students different levels of cultural differences and significances. Big C includes creative endeavors, institutions, historical figures, etc. Lower C includes beliefs, morals, customs, and norms.

I would like to briefly discuss the idea of habitus, which was referenced in multiple readings this week. According to Bourdieu, individuals acquire a set of durable dispositions through intensive and extensive involvement in their daily lives. These dispositions are known as habitus which conditions words, deeds, attitudes, and socially constructed principles. It is very important when looking at culture and its acquisition.

After reading about the idea of private speech, I was left with a few uncertainties. I realize that it functions to organize and guide a child’s mental activity, but how is it different than inner speech? Inner speech concerns semantics and word meaning but isn’t this a component of private speech (self as interlocutor)?

One of the most interesting parts of the readings this week was the research study regarding Word Affiliation. When New Year’s Day was presented in English to Japanese, words like party and holiday were recited back. However, when New Year’s Day was stated in Japanese, the word affiliations consisted of Japanese words like kimono. I have noticed since my return from Spain that when I overhear someone talking in Spanish and then my friend asks me a question, I have a tendency to begin answering in Spanish!

Lastly, collectivism vs individualism was another main point from the readings. They are both sociocultural patterns, but in collectivism, individuals see themselves as part of a collective item such as a tribe or family. They are motivated by norms and duties imposed on their collective units. Individualism is where there are loosely linked individuals that are independent. They are mostly motivated by needs, rights, preferences, and personal goals.

In conclusion, second culture acquisition has been investigated from social, attitudinal, and cognitive standpoints. Adults are indeed capable of restructuring the culture to some extent but with the right motivation and context. Culture is better labeled as a verb, not a noun, because it is a dynamic process of transforming order in society and identifying formation. It is a prism through which we view life.

What is Culture?

     I really enjoyed reading Morgan's articles on culture. Many of the perspectives and ideas integrated into the articles resonated with me as I reflected and formed my own definition of culture. As Morgan stated, the challenge is finding a simple approach to the depth and complexity of culture. Culture is ubiquitous; it is absolutely everywhere. However, I agree with Morgan in saying that it is often hard to pinpoint the exact culture in a certain area. After living and traveling in Europe for five months, I was able to observe multiple cultures. By immersing myself in the culture (eating the food, speaking the language when possible, and learning about beliefs and values), I feel I was able to more clearly identify the culture, but not completely. That is the art of culture- something that may seem tangible through artifacts and people, but has many different levels to explore.
     The difference between language and culture exists, but is not always prominent. Morgan states that language is an integral part of the five dimensions of culture (products, practices, persons, perspecitves, and communities). An example I really liked from the article was the idea of a bumper sticker. This seems like a normal thing to have on one's car in the United States, but outsiders may not think so. The message, "I is a college student" may not be understood by other countries and cultures. In fact, the grammatical error may not even be caught. The humor can go above levels of comprehension. This is just one example of how the culture (of the United States) is represented through language on a bumper sticker. The United States finds a college education humorous in this situation.
     In conclusion, after joining my personal opinion and idea about culture with the ideas I found pertinent from the articles, I feel confident with my definition of culture. To me, culture is the expression, both implicit and explicit, that facilitates one's sense of identity and how this identity is then protrayed in every day life. I believe that the context in which a culture is taught is important. One must examine the audience and learners and decide how they will best learn. Perhaps the best strategy is to teach culture in the language to which it pertains. However, perhaps not. This is the concept of culture that I have attained, but it is always up for modifications!

Excitement :)

I am so excited for English 343 as we learn how to best engage ESL students in the process of learning the language! I am very passionate about helping children succeed and I love being bilingual so I am looking forward to the knowledge I will acquire from this class!