For the SLA module, apart from keeping a Teaching Diary, I have also been writing a Learning Diary describing my experience learning Chinese. Last semester I wrote a couple of posts that discuss how psychological and social factors may influence success in language learning. One was the affect of Foreign Language Anxiety and the other the ubiquity, or lack of, of certain languages.

Having recently read through a mini-handbook on Second Language Acquisition (Oxford Introductions to Language Study), I have tried to understand how social factors affect my language learning from a theoretical perspective, in reference to my Chinese language learner identity. For my SLA project this semester, I may focus on one particular issue that I would like to resolve, or one thing that is going well, but would like to improve further. I’m not yet sure if I can use my Learning Diary for the igniting question required by my SLA project. Either way, I’m just outlining here what resonates with me from the text:

Social and Psychological Distance

Schmann’s acculturation model proposes that pidgination (early fossilation, no advance on language competence beyond beginner level) occurs when learners are unable or willing to adapt to a new culture. The main reasons why some learners fail to acculturate is social and phsychological distance. Social distance concerns becoming a member of the target-language group. The idea is the more you feel like a member, the more successful you may become in the target-language. A ‘good’ learning situation is one where,

(i) the learner and the target-language group have little social distance, and view each other as socially equal. On one hand, I feel like ‘other’, continuously wearing the ‘foreigner’ label. On the other hand, I feel perhaps I have been given an elevated higher status, as “foreign expert”, coupled with a positive discrimination for US & UK accented- people.

(ii) both groups wish the L2 learner to assimilate the target-language group. Is there national level support for foreigner integration? Locally, the target-language group may not consider assimilations into their group as worthy/something worth attaining. My experience of speaking with young Chinese reveals that they think learning their language is not worthwhile. Quite possibly, it is not ‘cool’. These youngsters prefer to communicate with me in English, undermining the value of the target-language and indirectly suggesting this is not a group worth joining.

(iii) L2 group and target-language group share the same social facilities. I may frequent social spaces not often frequented by the target-language group, thus increasing the social distance.

(iv) L2 learner has many contacts with the target-language group. I have many contacts constructed through the medium of the English-language for communication. I have a reduced relationship with the target-language group through the medium of the target-language. Essentially, my identity as a Chinese speaker is very weak. And I am not viewed, and therefore not interacted with, as such.

Social Identity Theory

I identify with Pierce’s social identity theory that views L2 acquisition as a ‘struggle’ and the need for an ‘investment’. I’m always considering the risk vs. reward. Pierce states that, ‘Learning is successful when learners are able to construct an identity that enables them to impose their right to be heard and thus become the subject of the discourse.’ I am attempting this through this blog where I have started to post in Chinese. Comparatively speaking, the hours spent learning Chinese versus hours spent learning another language or doing any other activity, may be less rewarding. The limited demand for Chinese language skills outside of China is another consideration. And if the ultimate reward for investing in the language is to become a member of the group, ie. ‘becoming Chinese’, then this may be almost impossible for any learner.

Learning Object

I’m quite unsure what ‘learning object’ I could create to understand my situation better. My tutor has suggested some form of intervention which embeds the ‘right to be heard’ within course design. This sounds promising. Perhaps it should all start from gaining feedback from other learners. Still more to think about here – I may be reaching out to you readers soon!

Reference

Second Language Acquisition, Rod Ellis. (Oxford Introductions to Language Study, H. G. Widdowson, Series Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.