Space and voice: A comparative study of Chinese adolescents? English use in China and Canada  

Oleh:

Qian, Yamin

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: TESOL Journal vol. 5 (Dec. 2011), page 38-51 .
Topik: Symbolic space; mediated action; ESL and EFL context; symbolic capital
Fulltext: Space and voice.pdf (227.49KB)

Isi artikel

Sociocultural theory stresses the nature of language as a mediation tool between learners and the society. In this regard, learning a language by nature is learning a symbolic tool assisting in achieving learners? goals (Lantolf & Appel, 1994). Thus, the significance of context needs to be identified in ESL/EFL study to understand language learners? English learning and identity construction (Norton, 1995). This qualitative study investigates the impacts of social context on language learners? experiences with English learning and their identity construction, respectively in EFL and ESL contexts. Participants were two groups of adolescents, of which one group was the first year university students in China, and another group was high school students resided in Canada for the average of 1.5 years. Open-ended questions were asked with regards to their perceptions of contexts, in which they were embedded, on their English use. This study found that both groups of participants preferred English to their first language in their daily life. Perceiving constant contacts with English-speaking counterparts as a legitimate strategy in learning English, both groups showed deliberate efforts in affiliating with English-speaking communities. However, participants in China created their own English-speaking community among themselves, within which they practiced, and even dreamed, in English (Zhao, Qian, Liu & Chen, 2011). On the other hand, participants in Canada explored chances to approach their English-speaking counterparts, in the process of which they hesitated and questioned. A discussion in light of the impacts of English globalization on language learners? identity in ESL and EFL contexts will conclude this article. This article will also suggest a reidentification of ESL and EFL contexts, which have been altered as a consequence of an increasing wave of global migration between nations for the sake of symbolic capital.

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