scholarly journals Writer Identity Construction in EFL Doctoral Thesis Writing

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-36
Author(s):  
Daping Wu ◽  
Adcharawan Buripakdi
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Written Narratives ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Writer Identity ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Authorial Identity ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Thesis Writing

Research on EFL doctoral thesis writing is booming. The literature indicates a link between doctoral thesis writing and identity formation. Despite the call for scholarly attention on doctoral thesis writers, writers of doctoral theses in English as a Foreign language (EFL) settings have not been well represented in the previous studies. Moreover, although writer identity has been proposed as consisting of four aspects, most of the research has mainly adopted a corpus approach to discuss the discoursal self or authorial identity. To bridge these gaps, this study explored how multicultural writers at a university in Thailand constructed identity through EFL doctoral thesis writing and how their multiple aspects of writer identity interplayed. With the data triangulated from a questionnaire, written narratives, and semi-structured interviews, the study revealed that 1) multiple identities are developed through writers’ self-adjustment and social acculturation; 2) passive alignment to institutional conventions leads to an actual distancing from discoursal construction of writer identity; 3) self-marginalization as EFL learners, negative external voices, and the role of student writer most hinder the development and representation of the authorial self. The research recommends EFL learners should be explicitly informed of the notions of constructing an authorial voice in the writing of doctoral theses. Keywords writer identity; identity construction; EFL doctoral thesis writing; novice writer; non-native English-speaking context

Chinese MA Student Writers’ Identity Construction in Citation Practices1

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-385
Author(s):  
Qingrong Liu ◽  
Liming Deng
Keyword(s):  
Identity Construction ◽  
Academic English ◽  
Student Writers ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Disciplinary Identity ◽  
Authorial Identity ◽  
Citation Practices ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
Ma Thesis ◽  
Thesis Writing

Abstract Based on Burgess and Ivanič’s (2010) framework of the discoursal construction of writer identity, this paper explores the interaction between citation practices and identity construction in Chinese EFL learners’ MA thesis writing. A mixed approach of textual analysis and interviews was adopted to examine the citation features of MA theses and the identities Chinese EFL learners constructed through citation selection. It was found that students’ selection of citations reflects their linguistic identity, academic and disciplinary identity, as well as novice identity. Their citation practices project different discursive selves to readers. By adjusting the number and relevance of references, they intend to construct a knowledgeable and credible self. The use of ineffective citations and references not only projects an unfavorable impression on readers but reflects a lack of authorial identity. This study has significant implications for the teaching of academic English and the supervision of thesis writing.

From Upland to Lowland: Karen Learners’ Positioning and Identity Construction through Language Socialization in the Thai Classroom Context

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nopthira Jawaut ◽  
◽  
Remart Dumlao ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Cultural Policy ◽  
Language Socialization ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Context Of Learning

Karen (or Kariang or Yang) are a group of heterogeneous ethnic groups that do not share common culture, language, religion, or material characteristics, and who live mostly in the hills bordering the mountainous region between Myanmar and neighboring countries (Fratticcioli 2001; Harriden 2002). Some of these groups have migrated to Thailand’s borders. Given these huge numbers of migrant Karens, there is a paucity of research and understanding of how Karen learners from upland ethnic groups negotiate and construct their identities when they socialize with other lowland learners. This paper explores ways in which Karen learners negotiate and construct their identities through language socialization in the Thai learning context. The study draws on insights from discourse theory and ecological constructionism in order to understand the identity and negotiation process of Karen learners at different levels of identity construction. Multiple semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain deeper understandings of this phenomenon between ethnicity and language socialization. The participants were four Karen learners who were studying in a Thai public university. Findings suggest that Karen learners experience challenges in forming their identity and in negotiating their linguistic capital in learning contexts. The factors influencing these perceptions seemed to emanate from the stakeholders and the international community, which played significant roles in the context of learning. The findings also reflect that Karen learner identity formation and negotiation in language socialization constitutes a dynamic and complex process involving many factors and incidences, discussed in the present study. The analysis presented has implications for immigration, mobility, language, and cultural policy, as well as for future research.

Identity Construction in Academic Writing of Student Writers Who Use English as an Additional Language: A Literature Review1

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-524
Author(s):  
Fangzhi He
Keyword(s):  
Identity Construction ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Student Writers ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Authorial Identity ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Audience Awareness ◽  
Writer Identities

Abstract Academic writing is social interaction between writer and reader, during which writers can employ discursive and non-discursive features to construct their identities. However, many student writers who are users of English as an additional language (EAL) may find it challenging to construct their identities in academic writing. Properly constructed identity in academic writing can help EAL student writers develop a stronger sense of self, exercise their agency, and negotiate the academic discourse. Therefore, this paper reviews empirical studies on EAL student writers’ identity construction when they write in English to investigate the features of identities that EAL student writers construct in texts and the factors that influence their identity construction. The findings show that, compared with expert writers and native-English-speaking (NES) counterparts, EAL student writers tend to present a weak authorial identity. Furthermore, EAL student writers tend to be more engaged with texts than with readers and lack commitment to their claims. The identities that EAL student writers construct in academic writing are also interwoven with EAL students’ English proficiency levels, educational experience, disciplinary conventions, genre affordances, and audience awareness. The findings of this literature review can help teachers and educators raise EAL students’ identity awareness and facilitate students in strategically constructing writer identities in academic writing.

scholarly journals ‘Significant Others’ in Influencing Arab EFL Learners’ Learning Strategy Use and Development: A Qualitative Inquiry

2015 ◽  
pp. 257-270
Author(s):  
Anas Hajar
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
English Language ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Significant Others ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
English Language Development ◽  
Language Learner ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Learning Strategy Use

The paper reports on the involvement of ‘significant others’ (e.g. parents and friends) as experienced by a group of learners learning English at university in their Arab homelands. Underpinned by a sociocultural standpoint, the data collected from a written narrative and four subsequent semi-structured interviews suggest that ‘significant others’ directly and indirectly fostered or hindered the participants’ English language development and identity formation by prompting different strategies. Further research into the cooperation between actors inside and outside the classroom is believed to generate essential findings for the language learner development programmes.

Tertiary English-majored Students’ Perceptions toward the Role of Pronunciation in English Language Learning and their Practicing Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-279
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
English Language Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
The University

Accurate pronunciation has a vital role in English language learning as it can help learners to avoid misunderstanding in communication. However, EFL learners in many contexts, especially at the University of Phan Thiet, still encounter many difficulties in pronouncing English correctly. Therefore, this study endeavors to explore English-majored students’ perceptions towards the role of pronunciation in English language learning and examine their pronunciation practicing strategies (PPS). It involved 155 English-majored students at the University of Phan Thiet who answered closed-ended questionnaires and 18 English-majored students who participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that students strongly believed in the important role of pronunciation in English language learning; however, they sometimes employed PPS for their pronunciation improvement. Furthermore, the results showed that participants tended to use naturalistic practicing strategies and formal practicing strategies with sounds, but they overlooked strategies such as asking for help and cooperating with peers. Such findings could contribute further to the understanding of how students perceive the role of pronunciation and their PPS use in the research’s context and other similar ones. Received 10th June 2019; Revised 12th March 2020; Accepted 12th April 2020

An Ever Further Apart Union? National and European Attachments in the European Union

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey Raney
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Active Role ◽  
The Political ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Political Identities ◽  
Political Identification ◽  
The Eu

This paper is about the ways that citizens perceive their place in the political world around them, through their political identities. Using a combination of comparative and quantitative methodologies, the study traces the pattern of citizens’ political identifications in the European Union and Canada between 1981 and 2003 and explains the mechanisms that shape these political identifications. The results of the paper show that in the EU and Canada identity formation is a process that involves the participation of both individuals and political institutions yet between the two, individuals play a greater role in identity construction than do political institutions. The paper argues that the main agents of political identification in the EU and Canada are citizens themselves: individuals choose their own political identifications, rather than acquiring identities that are pre-determined by historical or cultural precedence. The paper makes the case that this phenomenon is characteristic of a rise of ‘civic’ identities in the EU and Canada. In the European Union, this overarching ‘civic’ identity is in its infancy compared to Canada, yet, both reveal a new form of political identification when compared to the historical and enduring forms of cultural identities firmly entrenched in Europe. The rise of civic identities in both the EU and Canada is attributed to the active role that citizens play in their own identity constructions as they base their identifications on rational assessments of how well political institutions function, and whether their memberships in the community will benefit them, rather than on emotional factors rooted in religion or race. In the absence of strongly held emotional identifications, in the EU and Canada political institutions play a passive role in identity construction by making the community appear more entitative to its citizens. These findings offer new theoretical scope to the concept of civic communities and the political identities that underpin them. The most important finding presented in the paper is that although civic communities and identities are manufactured by institutions and political elites (politicians and bureaucrats), they require thinking citizens, not feeling ones, to be sustained.   Full text available at: https://doi.org/10.22215/rera.v2i4.179

scholarly journals From Instructed Writing to Free-Writing: A Study of EFL Learners

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824402110071
Author(s):  
Saleh Alharthi
Keyword(s):  
Control Group ◽  
Writing Program ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Free Writing ◽  
Efl Students ◽  
Structured Writing ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Writing is an intricate process that encompasses various factors and is a key skill for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. Thus, writing assignments are vital for any curriculum. One of the essential aspects of effective writing includes good grammar knowledge. Advocates of process writing argue that a free-writing journal is a practical approach to teaching EFL students writing. This study is intended to examine the impact of the free-writing journal on EFL learners. This study was conducted on 80 students from a writing course at the University. Thirty-five students were randomly selected to join the free-writing program—the experimental group—and 45 students were kept in their regular structured writing program—the control group. The experimental group selected topics of interest to them and was encouraged to write in English freely without concern for errors, whereas the control group followed a regular structured writing program where the topics were selected for them and they wrote following a clear guideline. Five major areas were investigated to evaluate students’ progress: the number of words written, spelling, capitalization, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation. The researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 students of the experimental group to elicit their perception of the free-writing program. According to the analysis, students in the free-writing program acquired better grammar acquisition than the control group. The researcher also observed students’ perception of free-writing at the end of the study and found that free-writing improved their writing skills.

scholarly journals Identity (Re)Construction of Female Adolescents with Substance Use Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 7022
Author(s):  
Danielle Treiber ◽  
Lize A. E. Booysen
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Female Adolescents ◽  
Situational Analysis ◽  
Developmental Milestone ◽  
Practical Implications

Identity formation is a developmental milestone for adolescents, and their identities are constructed and re-constructed through their interactions with others and contextual factors in their environment. When considering adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD), often this developmental milestone is misappropriated, misunderstood, and misrepresented. The purpose of this article was to explore how adolescents with substance use disorders form identity and construct a sense of self. Firstly, we explored the identity formation and reconstruction of 20 female adolescents with SUDs based on an in-depth grounded theory methodology (GTM) which included a situational analysis (SA). Secondly, we offered a theoretical model to explain identity construction and reconstruction of adolescents with SUDs that emerged from this research. We conclude this article with practical implications for treatment, and care of adolescents with SUDs.

Understanding the Impact of Heritage Language on Ethnic Identity Formation and Literacy for u.s. Latino Children

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 245-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria M. Arredondo ◽  
Melanie Rosado ◽  
Teresa Satterfield
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Latino Children ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethnic Identity Formation ◽  
The Impact

Studies show positive associations between ethnic identity, socio-emotional health and academic success. However, most work is carried out with adolescents and few have examined how young children develop an ethnic identity, particularly u.s. Latino children. The present study represents a first-pass investigation of children’s ethnic identity mechanisms and their relation to academic success. We carried out semi-structured interviews in Spanish with 25 Latino children (ages 5–12). Open-ended questions addressed items on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure and Ethnic Identity Scale, incorporating a mixed qualitative (i.e., themes) and quantitative (i.e., scoring) analysis. Results revealed that children provide great detail when discussing their ethnic background. Additionally, Latino children’s bilingualism and Spanish-language proficiency were significant markers of ethnic identity formation, which in turn were positively associated with affect and Spanish literacy. These findings shed light on the complexities of ethnic identity construction during children’s early years, and establish a path for further investigation of Latino children’s socio-emotional health and academic achievement.

Music enables the holistic development and discovery of self: A phenomenological study of two Christian musicians

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabella S. K. Fung
Keyword(s):  
Music Education ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Holistic Development ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Self Discovery

Music draws on body, space, time and relationships to offer a sacred experience. Musicking makes personal, social, emotional and spiritual connections with people. Cultural identity is formed through the arts, and the spirituality in music is a medium through which people explore their identities. This study examines how music facilitates the holistic development of two Melbourne-born Chinese-Australian Christian musicians. The Confucian Evolving Self Model, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs, and music education aims offer conceptualising scaffolds to illuminate their self-discovery. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to report on multiple semi-structured interviews undertaken over three years. This study considered the interaction of various value systems – the fusion of Confucianism, Christian and psychological cultures in the process of musical development and identity formation. It fills a research gap and complements existing approaches to understanding the social contexts influencing the acquisition of musical skills and musicians’ occupational choices. The permissive parenting that both participants experienced might account for them being able to follow a career in music without familial resistance. The current findings can advocate for music education because the spiritual aspects of musical experiences were perceived as a mirror in fostering the holistic development of both participants.

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