Basic Skills Forum

SOCIAL IDENTITY AND THE ADULT ESL CLASSROOM. ERIC DIGEST
AUTHOR: CHAR ULLMAN

REVIEWED BY PAT DAVIDSON – 5/14/08

This article presents issues with seeing the identities of our Ss and how that can help us help them learn a second language. ESL teachers all know this is important but this writing explores more, posits some interesting questions, offers good writing strategies and presents some controversies, with possible readings for follow-up.

Using the words ‘re-creation’ – making new roles in the family, neighborhood, work necessary with the limited language; and ‘readjustment’ – one’s ethnicity requiring him/her to be a different part of the new society – the author directs us to use the word self-recreation in making the subtle more overt in classroom strategy and discussions.

Issues in learning a second language have evolved from formal learning (error correction and rote) to SLA (second-language acquisition, inter-language socialization); style-profiles tailored to individual Ss in classroom, which may be ultimately stereotyping and unfair, and finally, to a social context emphasis. Identity approach therefore moves past simple personality of learner. It involves the affective dynamics of power between two speakers, with inherent inequalities such as racism, sexism, status, etc. It discusses instrumental motivation and integrative motivation as being helpful but limited. Needing English to find a job or wanting to become part of the community “fall short in describing the language learner’s situation because they assume a static identity…”

Researchers here also discussed controversies in perceptions between (or among, with multiple) immigration groups, such as Asian and Hispanic. By observing the classroom discourses they point to the dynamics of the varying perceptions one group may hold for the other, or indeed, each for itself. This collective self-image is an important part of what a learner brings to the classroom. These included images of Asians as model minorities in contrast with views of Latinos as inferior and contrary. Racializing the debate in society at large, they write, means that racial/colonial/imperial issues also come into the classroom language learning setting.

Classroom Applications given in this article were: the basic ‘who are we and where are we from’ starting with: PORTFOLIO WRITING, emphasizing that Ss should continue these bits of history over time and update them. DIALOGUE JOURNAL WRITING: Discussing and then writing the opinions of a partner, to better explore a topic and interact one-on-one with another learner to develop identity. LARGE-GROUP DISCUSSION: Discussion of identities in general from ‘old’ country to new, such as what it’s like to be a student in Mexico, or a teacher in China: SMALL-GROUP CONVERSATIONS: sharing past experiences, with T helping to direct goals toward the future. IMPROVISATIONAL DIALOGUES: Exercises including brainstorming, situation ethics, problems, etc., with direction by T towards finding ways for Ss to solve problems and make their voices heard.

The Conclusion drawn was that spotlighting identity of Ss means helping them bring their real lives into the context of their new language, both classroom and outside the classroom. The T can glean some valuable tools from these reminders and strategies.