Social inclusion and the reduced personality Migration identity

Social inclusion and the ‘reduced personality’: Migration, identity and language learning Lynda Yates Macquarie University 1

Research Questions • • • How are these migrants positioned and how do they position themselves in their new communities? How do they experience the renegotiation of their identities in English? What is the role of the AMEP in this renegotiation process and how can it best facilitate these transitions? 2

Overview • • Motivation for paper Theoretical frameworks Study Insights from case study of 8 women in first three years in Australia • Reflections on: – Development of their English-speaking identities – Understandings of learning and language use – Role of language classes 3

Motivation for paper Lucia Q 1 my boyfriend or and here his family. Everybody’s wah wah What talking laughing and I’m just sorry shy and he say. The shy Columbian yes. And I’m not like that! Kaye Q 1 Kaye: …and people thinks I’m really quiet. Do they? Kaye: But in Japanese, no, I’m really talkative, 4

Theory: Focus on the individual • Personal costs of developing transnationalism – Rebuilding social, cultural and economic capital • Language anxiety (Oxford, 1999) – Self-esteem (Horowitz et al 1986) • ‘Reduced personality’ (Harder, 1980) – Late-acquired language – Frustrations re self-expression (Winch, 2005) • Motivation – L 2 motivational self (Dornyei & Ushioda 2009) 5

Theory: Identity in context • Power differentials and structures of participation – Positioning – Peripheral participation/ communities of practice – Affordances & investment (Norton-Pierce, 1995) • Motivation - interaction intentionality & social context (Ushioda 2009) – People-in-context view of motivation – Engagement of ‘possible selves’ • English speaking identity – Migrant identities (Miller 2000) – Transportable identities’ (Zimmerman 1998; Richards 2006) 6

Language use and English speaking identity Positioning (affordances) ELL motivation (Ideal L 2 self) Past self-esteem (cultural capital) Use of English - ve Engagement of possible selves: Transnational English-speaking Identity + ve 7

Language use and development of L 2 identity Successful self expression Engagement of possible selves Use of English - ve Transnational English-speaking Identity Language anxiety +ve or –ve experiences investment and confidence in language learning + ve Reduced personality 8

Language training and settlement success • • • DIAC funded project 152 migrants (134) studying in AMEP 11 centres around Australia Different levels/ backgrounds/ ages/ A range of data: – Interviews – Fieldnotes, observations, materials, assessments – Digital recordings of goal-oriented and social interactions inside and outside the classroom and the centre 9

Language training • AMEP - national program – – – all eligible new arrivals who lack functional English free three different certificate levels to those Certificate III preparation for further study or improvement in employment prospects. • Beyond most urgent need for basic English • Language-related settlement issues • Negotiate social and professional identities through English • C 1 linguistic expertise / economic capacity • Australia: Struggle to draw on this capital 10

Participants 11

Participants 12

Social inclusion and settlement success: Some commonalities • Social isolation and loneliness • Frustration at ‘reduced personality’ • Insufficiency of workplace or partners for English development • Goal of more challenging work • Underestimation of language learning • Tendency to self-blame • Desire to improve English • Desire for speaking and feedback 13

Social isolation and loneliness Frustration at: • Lack of friends – Sally and son (playgroup), Anna (curfew), Tobi • Inability to relate/ express E. g. – – – Formal phone conversations (Sally) Parents (Kaye) Partners’ friends (Lila) Every day conversation at work (Karen) Anybody (Anna) 14

Insufficiency of routine work interactions • Robot - Lucia Q 1 Lucia: I’m just- ah feeling totally like stuck. Like- like when I know- you know it’s like I’m feeling like I’m expressing myself always in the same way or always- […. ] Using the same words and using the same. Yes, so it’s a restricted range of things-that you can say and do and you want to expand that, yeah. Lucia: Exactly because I feel like robot, you know? • Sally (take-away)/ Lucia (café)/ Karen (office)/ Anna (factory) • But increases confidence? (Sally/ Karen cf Tobi) (also Miller 2000) 15

Karen Q 2: Yeah (laughter) because I think if I work for an Aussie company at least I have a good- good situation and every time I listening, every time I- I read I- I writing something, always learning English, so is good. ……………. I think I- I can- … I so before- before this job I don’t dare to talk with some you know Western people. But now I can, I can do this. 16

Goal - more challenging work Desire to build on cultural capital: – portray fuller range of skills - professional identity – Participate more centrally Lila Q 1: So I was and at uni they know me because I was good at uni. […. ] Lila: Yeah so that why here that’s why now oh I don’t have and I would say to my sister I just came here and I’m no-one, nobody. 17

Under-estimation of challenge of language learning Anna Q 2: before I came here I- I never think English is so hard because hhmmm, we in China we just do reading, especially in our field I found that this is- is not difficult. So before I came here I think oh, English is- is easy to me I can- (laughter) I can learn English quickly and fast but after I came here I found not 18

Positive about AMEP class Lucia Q 1: … they’re [English classes] great it’s just, you know, it’s, yeah, some of my first English classes here in this, yeah Karen Q 2: I think … ahh, we can learn some- some words and I think we can- we can spend long time in Engla- English situation. Anna Q 1: I enjoy the class-, the class because I can- I can meet and know different classmates from different country the(NB Sally/ Anna - stretching) 19

Some commonalities Tendency to blame self (Lila, Anna, Tobi) Okay. And you said last time to Jackie that you were feeling a little bit alone. Lila Q 2: Yeah. How do you feel now? Lila Q 2: Ahm … I try don’t think about it (laughter) yeah. Still a little bit lonely then? Lila Q 2: Yeah, I think maybe my personality, I don’t know. 20

Language use and English speaking identity investment and confidence in language learning Successful self expression L 2 identity and - ve Use of English + ve Language anxiety Reduced personality 21

Lucia Q 1 • 50% English • Repetitive café to • Cute Spanish-speaker • Frustrated with ‘reduced personality’ • Class useful for: – structure and practice (pron and writing) – Space to speak – Make friends – Organise her English Q 3 • 80% English • Sociable trammie • Independent lover • Settled • Job as transition • Developing new strategies to communicate • Still frustrated at ‘inability’ to join in and limited identity in English, but…. 22

Lucia Q 3: Lucia: I, you know, but it's just … I think the English is- is, I, I remember I felt really isolate, my first. Yeah. Lucia: -months here. I didn’t have friends, I didn’t, I was only with <partner’s> family and with, I can start to talk with anyone and that’s normal. You know I'm doing that with contacts. Yeah, yeah. Lucia: -I'm making friends-on the tram, making friends. I'm just-Yeah. Lucia: -I'm talking with people. Yeah, yeah. Lucia: And this is good. 23

Tobi Q 1 • 20% English • Japanese travel agency • Planning children • Frustrated but some support • Class useful for: – Place to speak English – Place for feedback Q 3 • 15% English • Soon unemployed • Relationship breakdown • Feels old (30), worries about health • Lost interest in studying English: ‘I don’t like study English. ’ • No support, maybe returning home 24

Anna Q 1(2) • 40% English • Silenced / factory QA • Diligent but unrealistic • Came for opportunity • (misses professional talk) • Class: – – Useful for ‘answers’ To meet people/ engage Feedback/ correction (wants to make NS contact) Q 3(4) • 60% English • Quit job for more speaking • Diligent -frustrated with progress • More understanding and confidence • Wants more Anglo talk • Refocusing goals - optician • Considering returning • (confident assertive cf mistakes /stupid in English) • (lonely / husband) • (toughened / more determined) 25

Jeannie Q 1 • 95% English • Family store • Believes in speaking out • Proud of her English • Came for opportunity/husband Q 3 • 98% English • Wants to study • Disappointed can’t be a teacher • Husband wants her to work • Stays for son not husband 26

Karen Q 1 • 15% (50%) English • Chinese to English • Wants to improve speaking • Came for husband/ opportunity • Class: – Safe place to speak – Not laughed at Q 4 • Return from work away • More confident about English, but still afraid of mistakes • Different ‘place’ from last yr: – Content, happy, lucky – Plans to settle – More confident with clients 27

Role of language training • Source of: – – – Structured language information Feedback (handling of misconceptions) Non-language information Practice Referral (plausible action plans) (Dornyei 2009) Peer group / network 28

AMEP class - safe place to: • Use English without being considered ‘stupid’ • Develop of English speaking identity which reflects their ‘transportable identities’ ‘engage directly with their possible selves as users of the L 2, but within the current scope and security of their current communicative abilities, interests and social contexts’ (Ushioda: 2009: 225) 29

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