Identity in the class
I was talking to a friend about identity and the way it may change through life. Do you speak other languages? Do you think you changed because of that? Is your identity different in both languages?
While discussing these questions, I realized that identity plays a huge role a learner’s process. Yet, I have never thought about it from the teacher’s perspective or even considered the effect of taking it into account in the class.
ESP focuses on the learners needs and how the whole learning process should evolve around them in order to accomplish a more meaningful and personalized experience taking into account at the same time various factors that contribute to the enhancement of it. Identity, then, becomes a newfangled factor in the equation because it may point to a side of learners that is not usually cared for. Identity could transform a simple class into a convergent space for distinct people to evolve while allowing them to feel and create a sense of belonging.
Belcher, Johns, and Paltridge (2014) mention "our interest is in the extend to which and ways in which awareness of the students’ self-defined cultural identity may contribute to our understanding of their needs as language learners." As they mentioned, identity could mark the beginning of a new teaching era since instructors would know the learners’ aims and goals for the future, in addition, to fears or even experiences. Just by including students’ identity in the mix, the learning process opens up to new options and possibilities.
Belcher, Johns, and Paltridge (2014) pointed out that "when language learners speak, they are constantly organizing and reorganizing a sense of who the are and how they relate to the social world." This is an important aspect because it reminds us that learning is not static; it possesses an ongoing and everlasting quality that allows people to evolve and keep the change going in order to serve their own contextual needs.Therefore, as teachers, it is our responsibility to truly take the into account not only our beliefs and experiences as we usually do, but also students’ current identities as well as their future ones because they point the way. It is mandatory, to take the time and acknowledge students’ roles and goals if we want to make the process worthwhile.
While discussing these questions, I realized that identity plays a huge role a learner’s process. Yet, I have never thought about it from the teacher’s perspective or even considered the effect of taking it into account in the class.
ESP focuses on the learners needs and how the whole learning process should evolve around them in order to accomplish a more meaningful and personalized experience taking into account at the same time various factors that contribute to the enhancement of it. Identity, then, becomes a newfangled factor in the equation because it may point to a side of learners that is not usually cared for. Identity could transform a simple class into a convergent space for distinct people to evolve while allowing them to feel and create a sense of belonging.
Belcher, Johns, and Paltridge (2014) mention "our interest is in the extend to which and ways in which awareness of the students’ self-defined cultural identity may contribute to our understanding of their needs as language learners." As they mentioned, identity could mark the beginning of a new teaching era since instructors would know the learners’ aims and goals for the future, in addition, to fears or even experiences. Just by including students’ identity in the mix, the learning process opens up to new options and possibilities.
Belcher, Johns, and Paltridge (2014) pointed out that "when language learners speak, they are constantly organizing and reorganizing a sense of who the are and how they relate to the social world." This is an important aspect because it reminds us that learning is not static; it possesses an ongoing and everlasting quality that allows people to evolve and keep the change going in order to serve their own contextual needs.Therefore, as teachers, it is our responsibility to truly take the into account not only our beliefs and experiences as we usually do, but also students’ current identities as well as their future ones because they point the way. It is mandatory, to take the time and acknowledge students’ roles and goals if we want to make the process worthwhile.
Glori, this question "is your identity different in both languages?" captured my strong interest. I believe we do, we have different socio-economic contexts, friends, linguistic skills, desires, customs, even languages among others that give us different identities.
ReplyDeleteI believe the same thing, and also the are constantly changing...it has been interesting to discover and analyze the way mine have changed...
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