The Construction And Development Of Self-identity In Second Language Learning In A Study Abroad Context: The Autobiographical Narrative Perspective

Researchers of second language acquisition have been interested in the relationshipbetween the language learner and the larger social world. In particular, the researchershave examined the diverse social, historical, and cultural contexts in which languagelearning takes place and how learners negotiate and sometimes resist the diversepositions those contexts offer them.The current study draws on constructivism theory which postulates that identity isvaried, shifting and subject to change, and that language and identity have a mutuallyconstitutive effect (Pavlenko,2001), and investigates the identity construction anddevelopment of two Chinese students who studying a second language abroad throughtheir autobiographical narrative of language learning. Participants were asked to reflecton their learning experience prior to arrival and while abroad to investigate self-identitychange due to study abroad experiences. The learners were chosen according to theirage of going abroad to see if the age of going abroad has an effect on identity changes.The result shows language learning abroad frequently entails new thought processes,identity, and values that can present threats or stimulation to learners who study abroadbecause it provides people with unfamiliar contexts to reassess one’s commitment andopportunities to explore new identity. For students who study abroad, because they aredifferent in terms of age, expectations, cognitive ability and personality, they may gothrough different processes of the development of self-identity. And the development ofparticipants’ self-identity is deeply influenced by individual and situational factors.Individual factors, such as expectation, self-esteem, self-monitoring, openness toexperience and cognitive ability play crucial roles in the identity reconstruction of thetwo participants. Situational factors related to the two participants include culturalbeliefs, expectations about identity, family communication processes, peers and schooland work environments, opportunities to explore new identities and returning.Suggestions to future studies, implications and limitations of the present study arediscussed.