Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 1004

Part of General Paper Session (Other abstracts in this session)

In search of language identity among urban youths in ESL context: A study of Ghanaian students of Ghana Institute of Journalism, Accra

Authors: Dankwa-Apawu, David
Submitted by: Dankwa-Apawu, David (Ghana Institute of Journalism, Ghana)

When we communicate, we share not only facts and opinions but also identities that are cultural and/or social. Cultural identities largely reflect a collective way of life that makes one group unique from others. Social identities, on the other hand, project differences that result from age, sex, education, and roles. These two identity forms resonate in the sounds and the grammar of our language, giving us a unique language identity. While cultural and social factors are strong pillars in the construction of language identities, personal desires seem to play the most significant role (Le Page & Tabouret-Keller, 1985). Over the years, studies in linguistics have attempted to establish the relationship between language and identity. While some researchers (like Noam Chomsky, cited in Norton, 1997) have rejected any marked relationship between language and identity, others have defended the inseparable relationship between language and identity (Norton, 1997). The marriage between language and identity is strongly projected among the youth in multicultural urban settings, where people from different socio-cultural backgrounds construct or negotiate identities that meet their unique needs or desires. Generally, two major identity constructs are visible among the youth in ESL contexts. The first is a native-like language identity (with sociocultural norms different from the L1 norms). The second language identity is a non-native variety of the target language (i.e. NNVE). Depending on their motivation, the youth in ESL contexts would choose and consolidate one or the other. Others swing from one to the other in response to their changing needs. This study identifies the patterns of language identity projected in the speech of the youth in an urban community in Ghana; investigates the motivation behind the choice of language identity; and assesses its implication for teaching, policy, and research. 200 randomly selected students were surveyed to explore their perceptions and preferences for specific linguistic identities and the reasons behind such preferences. Findings from the study partly suggest that urban youths choose identities that meet their desires, for instance, “for recognition, affiliation, security and safety” (Norton, 1997). Again, the dynamic nature of the respondents’ motivation behind their identity preferences supports the identity continuum theory (Raheem, 2010) and the proposition that identity can be “self-ascribed” (Nero, 2005). The implications include the need for language instructors to assess the identity needs of learners (Norton, 1997). Again, language policy would have to address the changing needs and desires of the youth and how they can be redirected to meet societal aspirations.

References:

Crystal, D. (1995) The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Le Page, R. and Tabouret-Keller, A. (1985) Acts of Identity: Creole-based Approaches to Language and Ethnicity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Nero, S. (2001). Englishes in Contact: Anglophone Caribbean Students in an Urban College. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton.

Norton, B. (1997) Language, identity, and the ownership of English. TESOL Quarterly 31 (3), 409–29.

Raheem, A. (2010) Language and Identity http://www.kuiraq.com/attdc/appllication/a3-2010/Language%20and%20Identity.pps

Shondel J. Nero (2005) Language, Identities, and ESL Pedagogy http://www.unm.edu/~wac/old_site/CurriculumResources/ESLpedagogy.pdf

Sociolinguistics Symposium 19

Programme: accepted abstracts

In search of language identity among urban youths in ESL context: A study of Ghanaian students of Ghana Institute of Journalism, Accra