Identity and Multi-competence CSLS October 28, 2016 Virginia M. Scott Copyright Virginia M. Scott 2016 All Rights Reserved

Overview Setting the stage: “Identity” in FL classroom -- FL Teaching vs. FL Education -- The myth of bilingualism “Identity” in FL classroom Defining multi-competence Identity and multi-competence: A new perspective in FL teaching Identity & Muti-competence

Setting the stage: Teaching vs. Education LANGUAGE TEACHING … LANGUAGE EDUCATION … … to help students learn about a particular language & culture. … to develop L2 skills (speaking, reading, writing, listening) … goes beyond an exclusive focus on learning the target language and learning about the target culture. … places critical reflection about oneself, one’s own language and culture, and the target language and culture at the heart of foreign language education. Identity & Muti-competence

Goal of language education … to develop language awareness: In what ways are the languages you speak part of your identity? What is the difference between your language and your nationality? What is a “native speaker”? Are you a native speaker of a particular language? Does your native language give you a sense of power? A sense of belonging to a group? Identity & Muti-competence

Have you ever felt like a “language outsider”? What languages are / are not “cool”? Why Describe stereotypes associated with different language groups. Name some languages spoken by people in power. Name some languages spoken by marginalized people. In what ways can learning a second language give you power? Identity & Muti-competence

Language Awareness A person’s sensitivity to and conscious awareness of the nature of language and its role in human life. (From Svalberg, 2007) Identity & Muti-competence

Setting the stage: The myth of bilingualism What does “bilingual” mean? There are at least 37 definitions of bilingual. Identity & Muti-competence

Several definitions Balanced bilingual = mastery of two languages is roughly equivalent Covert bilingual = someone who hides knowledge of another language because of an attitudinal disposition Dominant bilingual = greater proficiency in one of the two languages Early bilingual = someone who acquired both languages in childhood Late bilingual = someone who became bilingual later than childhood Receptive bilingual = someone who understands but does not read or write Secondary bilingual = someone whose second language has been added to a first via instruction Incipient bilingual = someone at the early stages of bilingualism (Taken from Wei, 2000) Identity & Muti-competence

Bilingual people … understand a second language … read a second language… write a second language… speak a second language… to varying degrees! Identity & Muti-competence

Who is a native speaker ? People often think that being bilingual means being able to speak another language like a “native speaker.” A person cannot become a native speaker of another language. A native speaker is born into the community in which the language is used. Most people are incapable of achieving native-like speech (pronunciation, idiomatic expression, etc.) in a second language. Identity & Muti-competence

Rethinking bilingualism Bilingualism is not a state, but a process; not a goal but a continuum. BILINGUAL CONTINUUM X X incipient balanced Identity & Muti-competence

IDENTITY Identity & Muti-competence

Defining identity What shapes a person’s identity? Cognition – how you think about things Emotion – how you feel about things Experience – your life story Choice – what you decide Identity & Muti-competence

Most psychologists and sociologists think of identity as dynamic and fluid rather than static or fixed. Research suggests that a person’s identity changes during the course of the lifespan. Identity & Muti-competence

Identity in classroom FL teaching Dörnyei’s notion of the “Ideal L2 Self” “The ideal L2 self is the L2-specific facet of one’s ideal self, which refers to the representation of the attributes that someone would ideally like to possess…” “The theory suggests that if the person we would like to become speaks an L2, the ideal L2 self is a powerful motivator to learn the L2 because of the desire to reduce the discrepancy between our actual and ideal selves.” (Dörnyei, 2010, p. 257) Identity & Muti-competence

A vision of one’s “ideal L2 self” can become an important part of a learner’s identity. Identity & Muti-competence

Research on the Ideal L2 Self System Jamie Kathryn Butler (PhD candidate) Intervention Data collected 1: Description of future L2 self Written response, class discussion with observation 2: Confronting learner beliefs Written response to metaphor prompt, class discussion with observation 3: L2 role models 4: Timeline to ideal L2 self Qualitative methods used Identity & Muti-competence

MULTI-COMPETENCE Identity & Muti-competence

Defining multi-competence The term “multicompetence” was first coined by Vivian Cook more than 20 years ago. (Professor of Applied Linguistics, Newcastle University) Multi-competence … … is the knowledge of two (or more) languages in one mind. … is the overall system of a mind or a community that uses more than one language. Identity & Muti-competence

Multi-competence … … is not a theory or model of second language acquisition but rather a perspective, or a way of looking at acquisition and use of multiple languages. … is a dynamic perspective that accounts for the natural ebb and flow of a person’s native language as well as other languages in various stages of development. (Scott 2010) Identity & Muti-competence

Multi-competence People who know more than one language have a distinct compound state of mind that is not equivalent to two monolingual states. Identity & Muti-competence

Multi-competent L2 user  A term to describe a person’s composite knowledge and use of two or more languages.  A unique individual speaker-hearer of a second language who stands in contrast to a native speaker of that language. Identity & Muti-competence

MC L2 users among us “I interact regularly with a variety of multi-competent L2 users who speak southern American English: my Ethiopian colleague in CSLS; a Haitian medical practitioner at our university hospital; my Belgian colleague in CSLS, a professor of French; a Chinese graduate student preparing to teach English as a foreign language in China.  All of these people have marked non-native accents and make repeated, systematic errors when they speak English; all of them are successful and productive members of our community who speak, read, and write English with varying degrees of accuracy.” (Scott, 2016) Identity & Muti-competence

Multi-competent L2 learner Drawing on Cook’s notion of the MC L2 user, I have theorized a MC L2 learner who ... … thinks critically about the nature of language and its role in human life. … has realistic expectations as an L2 learner. … does not perceive him/herself as a deficient native speaker. … understands that a notion of one’s ideal L2 self can shape one’s identity as a second language user. Identity & Muti-competence

Conclusions Identity and multi-competence are terms that help us frame our thinking about FL teaching. The classroom is an ideal place for a learner to develop an understanding of his/her identity that comprises an ideal L2 self who understands what it means to be an L2 user. Identity & Muti-competence

Assessment criteria Developing L2 use Emerging ideal L2 self Interpersonal Presentational Interpretive Emerging ideal L2 self Articulates ways second language learning promotes a positive sense of self Feels increasingly empowered as an L2 user Identifies strategies for maintaining / continuing L2 use Identity & Muti-competence

References Byram, M. (2008). From foreign language education to education for intercultural citizenship. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Byram, M. (2012). Language awareness and (critical) cultural awareness: Relationships, comparisons and contrasts. Language Awareness 21(1-2): 5–13. Cook, V. J. (Ed.). (2002). Portraits of the L2 user. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters. Cook, V. J. (2012.) Multi-competence. In C. Chapelle (ed.), The encyclopedia of applied linguistics, (pp. 3768-3774): New York: Wiley-Blackwell. Cook, V. J. (2015). Premises of multi-competence. In V. J. Cook & L. Wei (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of linguistic multi-competence (pp. 1-33). Cambridge University Press. Dörnyei, Z. & Ushioda, E. (2009). Motivation, language identity and the L2 self. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters. Identity & Muti-competence

References Dörnyei, Z. (2010). The relationship between language aptitude and language learning motivation: Individual differences from a dynamic systems perspective. In Macaro, E. (Ed.), The Continuum Companion to Second Language Acquisition (pp. 247-267). London: Continuum. Kramsch, C. (1998). The privilege of the intercultural speaker. In M. Byram and M. Fleming (Eds.), Language learning in intercultural perspective: Approaches through drama and ethnography (pp. 16-31). Cambridge University Press. Kramsch, C. (2009). The multilingual subject. Oxford University Press. Scott, V. M. (2010). Double talk: Deconstructing monolingualism in classroom second language learning. NJ: Prentice Hall. Scott, V. M. (2015). Multi-competence and language teaching. In V. Cook and L. Wei (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of linguistic multi-competence (pp. 596-616). Cambridge UP. Identity & Muti-competence