Constructing identities through language: a cross-national study of Malaysia and Indonesia. (original) (raw)
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English use as identity marker among Malaysian Undergraduates
The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the history of Malaysia, and because of its pervasive influence through its role in the education system, it is an important part of the identity construction of those who have gone through the system. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of a study investigating the impact of English on the sociocultural identity construction of young adult Malaysians. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with 20 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities. English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. The demographic composition of the respondents reflects in general the cultural and linguistic diversity of Malaysia. The paper will focus on how the use of English among these university students is perceived as an identity marker that enhances the perception of their personal and social status, and how its use may sometimes be used as the basis by members of the same ethnic community for "othering" them. The paper concludes by suggesting that since competence in the use of English is basically perceived as a form of cultural capital, a move towards enhancing English use among students within a policy that strongly advocates multilingualism is the way towards developing a more inclusive moderate sociocultural identity.
English use as an identity marker among Malaysian undergraduates
2012
The English language, a legacy of the British colonialists, has been indelibly woven into the history of Malaysia, and because of its pervasive influence through its role in the education system, it is an important part of the identity construction of those who have gone through the system. This paper reports on the qualitative findings of a study investigating the impact of English on the sociocultural identity construction of young adult Malaysians. The data were obtained from interviews conducted with 20 Malaysian undergraduates from both public and private universities. English is one of the languages in their linguistic repertoire. The demographic composition of the respondents reflects in general the cultural and linguistic diversity of Malaysia. The paper will focus on how the use of English among these university students is perceived as an identity marker that enhances the perception of their personal and social status, and how its use may sometimes be used as the basis by members of the same ethnic community for "othering" them. The paper concludes by suggesting that since competence in the use of English is basically perceived as a form of cultural capital, a move towards enhancing English use among students within a policy that strongly advocates multilingualism is the way towards developing a more inclusive moderate sociocultural identity.
Journal on English Language Teaching, 2021
Indonesia has stipulated the implementation of the international program as one of its internationalisation's agendas. As a result, private and public universities strive to create international programs that would attract international students. This study focuses on an international program in a private university in Tangerang, which promotes English as a medium of instruction with little interference from native speakers. As many previous research have centred around study abroad in English speaking countries, this study offers a novelty of how identities are constructed in the context of English as a Lingua Franca where both local Indonesian and the international students are non-native speakers of English. Therefore, this research aims to discover how international students construct their language learning identity in English as a Lingua Franca context in Indonesia. There were eight participants from five different countries. They were interviewed using conversational narr...
2013
ACADEMIC ABSTRACT Malay identity in research literature is often constructed as an essentialised bond between ethnicity (Bumiputera Malay), religion (Islam) and language (Bahasa Melayu). This study presents a contemporary reading of Bumiputera Malay identities by focusing mainly on language use but also taking into account the adat (culture) and jiwa (soul) as part of Malay sociohistory. Towards this aim, I examined the roles of three languages (Bahasa Melayu, English and Mandarin Chinese) in the process of identity construction for a group of Bumiputera Malay undergraduates from a Bumiputera-exclusive university in Malaysia before, during and after their industrial attachments in the final semester of their diploma studies. Working within a part essentialist and part post-structuralist framework, I carried out my fieldwork in two cycles from December 2010 to April 2011. In the first cycle, a survey instrument was used to profile 102 undergraduates from the university’s Administration and Management Faculty. Then, in the longer second cycle, eight focal students were invited to participate further. Multiple qualitative instruments were employed to collect data as these students carried out their work roles within the private sector. Using a communities of practice theoretical framework (Wenger 1998, 2009) analysis of the data revealed the interrelationships between their language use and workplace participation. The findings point to three critical phases in the process of identity construction: campus, working and future life; these are interconnected phases within their ‘life journey’. The life journey, as both process and product of identity construction, opens up multiple vantage points where the past, present and future of the undergraduates, both real and imagined, came together. This, in turn, helped them not only to imagine the selves that they wanted to become but also to exert their agency and influence episodes within their day-to-day lives. As they used the languages that they know and participated in their workplace communities, identities were constructed and reconstructed. Although not all their language and workplace experiences were useful in shaping their life trajectories, on the whole, the eight participants began to explore future possibilities when they utilised the attachment as proving grounds for themselves as young urban professionals. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * Why was this study carried out? I wanted to provide a contemporary reading of Malay identity by focusing on language use and by taking into account Malay sociohistory employing the 'adat' (culture) and 'jiwa' (soul). Being Bumiputera Malay assumes the triadic combination of ethnicity ('Melayu'), religion (Islam) and language ('Bahasa Melayu'). As an anecdote, I faced difficulties in explaining to others why I talked about the ‘Bumiputera Malays’ instead of just the Malays or 'orang Melayu'. This taken-for-granted view of the Malays is partly a reflection of the legal definition in the Constitution. * How and where was this study carried out? I worked with undergraduates who went on their final semester industrial attachments at a Bumiputera-only university in Malaysia. I examined 'Bahasa Melayu', English and Mandarin to guide my research. From this large group, eight participants became my focal group and they provided the bulk of the data that I collected and analysed. The eight participants shared stories about their campus life, working life and future life. * What was the design of this study? I employed a mixed methods ‘quan-QUAL’ design. In the shorter ‘quan’ cycle, 102 undergraduates completed a survey questionnaire on language use and identity issues. Then, eight participants provided data for the longer ‘QUAL’ cycle for around 14 weeks. Two instruments collected textual data: semi-structured interviews and written reflective narratives. I also drew on their formal written reports to supplement my textual data record. * What were the main findings of this study? The study points to the complex interrelationship between language use, workplace participation and the process of identity construction as part of the on-going ‘life journey’ of the participants. During their campus life phase, the participants shared how being Malay on campus is strongly tied to the 'adat'. But, with the help of friendship groups, they used English and Mandarin freely as part of their preparation for the world of work. As they crossed boundaries into the workplace, they tried to change from being student-like to becoming worker-like by drawing on their language and communication abilities. The end of the attachment signalled the time for real choices to be made. Vantage points before, during and after their attachments helped the participants to imagine and construct the selves that they aspired to become, as part of their life journey. * How does this study contribute to our store of knowledge? 1. Communication and language abilities are critical abilities that afford access to the world of work. Beyond that, these abilities help university graduates to become young urban professionals. 2. Even with the 'adat' and 'jiwa' strictly governing campus and working lives, the participants were able to embrace contemporary ideals (e.g., becoming 'glocal' Malays) and to adopt the values of others (e.g., the Malaysian Chinese community), regularly drawing on the languages that they know to help them to think and to act in new ways. 3. In a mono-ethnic (e.g., Bumiputera only) university, intimate friendship groups provide a unique support system for the exploration of possible identities through languages. 4. Interns and undergraduates on temporary work attachments understand how their communication and language abilities and their language choices defined and projected their professional selves in the eyes of others. 5. Malay identity is not fully constrictive or severely limiting. The participants understood that becoming young Bumiputera Malay professionals involve adopting contemporary ideals, adapting the values of others and, most importantly, the ability to use the languages of others around them including English and Mandarin Chinese.
English learners' multiple identities in English global positioning perspectives
2019
ENGLISH: The issue of English learners’ identities in foreign language learning has been interesting to discuss. Several related previous studies have discussed topics such as the impacts of English Language Teaching (ELT) on learners’ identities (Kim, Lee, Wong & Azizah, 2010; Sung, 2015a, 2016a), multiple identities of English learners (Kim, 2003; Atay & Ece, 2009; Sung, 2014a, 2016b), learners’ attitude on English as a ‘Native’ Language (ENL) (House, 2003; McKenzie, 2008; Sung, 2014b, 2015b; Wang, 2015). However, none of these existing studies investigated the identities constructions of English learners in Indonesia. Thus, this study is significant to be conducted since Indonesia has multilingual and multicultural contexts. These social conditions do support the constructions of English learners’ multiple identities in Indonesia (Wahyudi, 2018a). This study was conducted in one of Islamic universities (IU) in Malang. In this inquiry, the problems of the study decided by the rese...
Through 18 interviews with German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia, we investigate the impact of a foreign language on the individual's identity. In this context, the study relies on the Social Identity Theory and Social Categorization Theory which focus on identity. We suggest that the use of a foreign language serves as a substitute for the mother tongue in the construal of identity only to a certain extent. This phenomenon becomes most apparent in situations where the competency of the language is crucial for the respondent involved in communication. Depending on the importance of the situation the respondents experience a different level of achievement/failure in expressing their identity. At the same time, the respondents evaluate identity of their communication partner by rating their language skills. Our findings further indicate that language makes a linkage between personal and social identities which is reflected in the feelings and behaviour of respondents in situations, when they cannot understand the language others use around them. Additionally the individual's identity perception does not seem to be influenced by the length of stay in Malaysia, nor by a long/short term relationship with a non-German speaking partner. The mother tongue however becomes replaceable, provided the respondent gained the knowledge in a certain area in a foreign language. In this case, the individual will have difficulty to communicate about that particular area in his mother tongue except with practice.
EFL Students' Understanding of Their Multilingual English Identities
Electronic Journal of Foreign Language Teaching, 2012
Little is known about how multilingual English users (MEUs) in EFL contexts such as Indonesia understand and construct their MEU identities. The purpose of the study is to explore how 30 students in a pre-service teacher education frame their multilingual English identities as written in response journals, part of a course requirement in a Cross-cultural Understanding (CCU) course. The findings illustrate that many of the participants negotiated their identities based on a core identity derived from their assumed first language (L1) culture. With regard to the English use, encounters with native speakers appeared to magnify their linguistic insecurity, viewing their nonnative status as a drawback. All of the participants appeared to be fully aware that the use of English in public spaces would project negative identities as Indonesian nationals. Implications for pre-service teacher education programs are made at the end of the paper.
A narrative case study of Indonesian EFL learners' identities
Indonesian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 2018
Much research on identity (re)construction in periphery countries (e.g., Pakistan, Thailand) continues to shed light on how English learners negotiate and construct their identities. This narrative case study explores how two Indonesian learners of English who have been learning English for many years reflect on their journey of identity construction as English learners in their local contexts. Nested in a narrative inquiry methodology, this study examined the participants " personal stories that were unique, rich and nuanced with the interplay of social, cultural and political dimensions (re)shaping their experiences. The initial phases of identity construction revealed from the participants " early years indicated that the emergence of identity as English learners was largely marked by a false or negative association of the English language in relation to various aspects of being a school subject leading to a false sense of positive identity. Pedagogical implications of the study are also presented in this article.
Globalization, English, and Identity Construction
2021
Language is fundamental in shaping one's identity. In today's borderless world, how we see, define and position ourselves appear to be, to a varying degree, interconnected to a host of 'globalizing forces', such as English. Drawing on Bhabha's (1994) notion of hybridity and Gomzina's (2012) multi-layered cultural identity as theoretical frameworks, this study aims to trace and understand how the exposure to the English language has impacted one of the writers' sense of self as an individual. Adopting an autobiographical narrative inquiry, the study used personal narratives written by Luthfiah as data. These narratives encompassed her reflections of various 'significant moments' that highlighted her engagement with English. Analysis of the narratives pointed to three major themes: (1) being fascinated with English, (2) feeling superior because of English, and (3) expanding the self through English. While initially Luthfiah's exposure to English had led her to a state of ambivalence regarding her identity, it is through English that she was finally able to expand herself and to understand her hybrid identity: English has become a tool for Luthfiah to redefine herself as an Indonesian. This study confirms the idea that there is no one single true way of defining one's cultural identity, as identity is multifaceted and complex and that it is always in the process of 'becoming'.