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Group membership and identity issues in second language learning

Department of Education and Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University, Montreal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2013

Pavel Trofimovich ,
Larisa Turuševa  and
Elizabeth Gatbonton
Pavel Trofimovich
Affiliation:
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, Faculty of Social Sciences, Latvia University of Agriculture, Jelgava, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Larisa Turuševa
Affiliation:
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, Faculty of Social Sciences, Latvia University of Agriculture, Jelgava, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
Elizabeth Gatbonton
Affiliation:
Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, Faculty of Social Sciences, Latvia University of Agriculture, Jelgava, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
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Extract

Language learning is inextricably linked to a social context, and this implies that context-related social variables, such as ethnicity or attitudes, can influence how language learning unfolds. Among the many group-engendered social factors, ethnic identity appears to have interesting consequences for language teaching and learning (Pavlenko & Blackledge 2004). Indeed, issues of personal and group identity often become important when individuals or groups come in contact with one another to learn a language. Briefly, ethnic identity refers to a person's subjective experience of being a part of an ethnic group (Ashmore, Deaux & McLaughlin-Volpe 2004). For second language (L2) learners, the two relevant groups are usually their primary (home) ethnic group and the L2 community. We report here on the research that we have been conducting at Concordia University in Montreal, as part of the Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, with the goal of investigating the role of ethnic group identity in L2 learning.

Type
Research in Progress
Information
Language Teaching , Volume 46 , Issue 4 , October 2013 , pp. 563 - 567
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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