EXAMINING LEARNER AND TEACHER LANGUAGE IDENTITY (click to view)
Volume 2020-1(3), 132 pages
* Intro
* Contents
* Authors
* Reviewers
On our ERL path to learner and teacher language identity
Language takes to us spaces we have never “visited” before. The learning (with comprehension) of a new word or phrase opens a gate to an entirely new experience, expanded awareness of the surrounding reality, and greater appreciation of the human limitations and possibilities at the same time. This novel experience is thoroughly personal in that each of us, with a different mental structure, incorporates the new items in a fully unprecedented way, and at every stage of the individual intralanguage, each of us arrives at a unique whole. Hence, the process of incorporating any particular language items reaches beyond the concept of construction, and appears more reminiscent of COMPOSING (as in music) in that it consistently implies unknown combinations and constructions which cut across not only different semantic fields, but also multiple disciplines and reality dimensions.
This process of language composing underlies entire education, retains a HIGHLY PERSONAL character, and drives the formation of learners’ and teachers’ identities altogether. Its significance becomes straightforward once we come to realize how much our idea of other people, their personalities and knowledge, rests on their understanding and use of – first/native or second/foreign – language. Their language identity – understood by us as a highly personalized four-dimensional hybrid encompassing their language views, language activity, language affect, and language matrices – largely shapes all learning and teaching environments and it also determines all learners’ educational (and frequently also later professional) success. Needless to say, this applies to all educational levels and settings, with the linguistic functioning of learners and teachers invariably occurring in the foreground of their work and studies. The process is, naturally, socially- and culturally-conditioned, which in ERL Journal is consistently reflected through its authorship cutting well across country and continent borders.
It is due to the fact that this key position of language across the educational board remains underrated that this volume continues ERL Journal’s sequence – after we have focused on the concepts of experiencing of language in Volume 1 and enhancing multiculturalism in Volume 2 – with the notion of language identity. This volume’s eponymous concept has recently given rise to the ERL ONLINE SESSIONS held by ERL Association, with the first event of this type being organized in the wake of COVID pandemic, during which learners’ and teachers’ identities have been put to a kind of test they had never undergone before. The first session thus concentrated on ‘learner and teacher language identities’, understood wider than ‘language learner identities’ in that whilst the latter (narrower) concept can be paraphrased as ‘the identity of language learners’ and relates to how students situate themselves in the world as language learners only, the former one encompasses entire education (and life altogether) and pertains to how students situate themselves in the world on the level of language, not necessarily with reference to (L1 and/or L2) language education only.
The volume addresses LEARNER AND TEACHER LANGUAGE IDENTITY on several levels, that is on the strata on individuals’ awareness, official documents, educational texts, and didactic practices. In each of these four dimensions the facet of learners’ and teachers’ language identity can be argued to be systematically taken for granted and thus substantially – and detrimentally to all educational stakeholders – essentially neglected. With 9 papers scattered across the four levels named, Volume 3 constitutes an appeal for placing ‘learner and teacher language identity’ in the centre of educational discourse. Its message chimes in with a joint publication issued recently under the ERL Framework under the title ‘In the Search for A Language Pedagogical Paradigm’, “aimed at cohesion and coherence across multiple approaches to how language is and should be implemented into education” (ibidem: 9), in which the concept of same understood language identity of teachers and learners plays a major role. The volume closes with a review of another ERL-oriented publication concerning the ‘educational role of (four) language skills’ across education, followed by a brief report on the aforementioned ERL online Session. We hope that the readers of Volume 3 will share our belief that the notion of ‘learner and teacher language identity’ opens lots of spaces worth exploring.
CONTENTS
Part I. Theory and Practice of the Educational Role of Language. PAPERS
Identity on the level of critical awareness
2. Aneta Naumoska – Semantic number in relation to English language learner awareness
Identity on the level of official documents
4. André Kurowski – The language of dissent – how school leaders adjust to policy change
Identity on the level of educational texts
5. Tess Maginess – Seamus Heaney’s ‘Hermit Songs’: An education in the nexus of identity and language
Identity on the level of didactic practices
8. Dilyan Gatev – Some techniques for teaching Business English vocabulary
9. Parwiz Hussain – The applicability of English language teaching methods to other subjects
Part II. Facts and Opinions Concerning the Educational Role of Language. REVIEWS & REPORTS
11. Kim Muir – A virtual conference: the first of its kind for ERLA – a personal account
List of Volume 2020-1(3) Authors
List of Volume 2020-1(3) Reviewers
Stephanie Demont orcid.org/0000-0001-6543-0608: UNITED KINGDOM, University of Bristol, Faculty of Arts, School of Modern Languages, Department of French. Stephanie is a Deputy French Language Director. s.demont@bristol.ac.uk
Klaudia Emanuela Gajewska orcid.org/0000-0002-5796-2951: POLAND, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Faculty of Humanities. Klaudia E. Gajewska (MA) is a PhD candidate at Maria Curie-Sklodowska University and an English teacher in a secondary school in Lublin, Poland. Her research interests center around Second Language Acquisition and Foreign Language Teaching with a special emphasis placed on examining the relationship between the productive skill of speaking and its subskill, pronunciation. klaudia.e.gajewska@gmail.com
Tiffany L. Gallagher orcid.org/0000-0003-3006-9773: CANADA, Brock University, Education. Tiffany, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and the Director of the Brock Learning Lab at Brock University. She is recognized for her research on the teaching of students with literacy learning challenges. Supporting the professional learning of teachers through literacy and technology coaching is also a focus of her work that seeks to inform audiences such as students, teachers, administrators, and policy makers. tgallagher@brocku.ca
Dilyan Gatev orcid.org/0000-0002-5878-451X: BULGARIA, University of National and World Economy Sofia, Faculty of International Economics and Politics, Department of Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics. Dilyan is a Senior Lecturer of English and holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English Philology (British and American Studies) from St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia. He is currently a PhD student of Foreign Language Teaching Methodology at New Bulgarian University Sofia. His main interests are English for specific purposes (ESP), business English, terminological vocabulary teaching and acquisition. d.p.gatev@unwe.bg
Božena Horváthová orcid.org/0000-0002-0611-2623: SLOVAK, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Education. She is an associate professor at the Department of Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Studies PF UKF in Nitra. She is an English and German speaking scholar, who focuses on research in applied linguistics, language pedagogy, language learning strategies, methods in researching and teaching language learning strategies and implementing language learning strategies into foreign language textbooks. bhorvathova@ukf.sk
Parwiz Hussain orcid.org/0000-0001-7569-1844: AFGHANISTAN, British Council Afghanistan, English Program. Parwiz works as an English language teacher trainer at the British Council Afghanistan. She completed her Master’s Degree at the University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom. She is a Hornby Educational Trust’s alumnus 2018/2019. Parwiz.Hossain@britishcouncil.org
Katarína Krištofovičová orcid.org/0000-0002-8272-5624: SLOVAKIA, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, Faculty of Education. Katarína is a former student of further education of English Language and Literature, which is provided for university, graduates at the Department of Language Pedagogy and Intercultural Studies at Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra. She holds a Master´s degree in biology at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra and she is currently a teacher at a primary school. kkristofovicova@gmail.com
Nataliia Krynska orcid.org/0000-0002-9307-5241: UKRAINE, Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics, Department of Foreign Languages. Dr. Krynska is an Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages where she researches how to apply the methods of text analysis to enhance ELT efficiency. Her scientific interests include pedagogical discourse and application of Critical Discourse Analysis methods within it. Natalia’s doctoral research was devoted to the questions of syntax and semantics of compound and complex sentences. nataliia.krynska@nure.ua
André Kurowski orcid.org/0000-0002-8841-3365: UNITED KINGDOM, University of Chichester, Institute of Education, Health and Social Sciences. André is a Senior Lecturer in Childhood Studies and teaches standard entrance and mature students in Social Sciences and Management and Leadership. He is the coordinator of a BA (Hons) Top-up program. His main interests are in the fields of sociological aspects of childhood and criminology and childhood, as well as leadership in education. He is also interested in European models of education and has long standing partnership with Artevelde University College in Ghent, Belgium where he hosts their students. André’s interests in language are social and cultural, particularly around social class and language. A.Kurowski@chi.ac.uk
Tess Maginess orcid.org/0000-0002-5078-8997: NORTHERN IRELAND, Queen’s University, Belfast. Director of the Open Learning continuing Education Programme, School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work. Her home discipline is literature. Her research encompasses adult education, older people’s learning, innovative pedagogies with non-traditional learners, arts based education and research and literature. t.maginess@qub.ac.uk
Kim Muir orcid.org/0000-0002-3087-832X: United Kingdom, University of Derby, College of Arts, Humanities & Education. Kim is a dynamic and creative lecturer who believes in inspiring and empowering students and has always been interested in language. She has a first degree in French and German, an MA in Education specializing in TESOL and a Cambridge CELTA. Kim has been teaching international students at all levels and across many domains of English language teaching since 2006. Her lecturing experience includes teaching English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as well as other exam-based courses. Her current role involves training future TESOL practitioners. Kim’s research interests include language learner autonomy, international education, comparative education, refugee and English as an Additional Language (EAL) education, the multilingual classroom and translanguaging. K.Muir@derby.ac.uk
Aneta Naumoska orcid.org/0000-0001-8734-2246: NORTH MACEDONIA, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, “Blaze Koneski” Faculty of Philology, Department of English Language and Literature. Aneta is a Teaching Assistant in Linguistics. Her main interests are grammatical categories in connection to ELT, the intersection between language and pedagogy, curriculum development, diachronic development of English. She created the first bilingual dictionary (English-Macedonian and vice versa) as a mobile app which was launched in 2016 (www.macengdictionary.com). Aneta is the author of a book on gender marking, and a Business English textbook for University students. naumoska.an@gmail.com
Mykhail Suknov orcid.org/0000-0002-7567-9279: UKRAINE, Kharkiv National University of Radioelectronics, Department of Foreign Languages. Dr. Suknov is an Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages and a participant of academic international projects 516935-TEMPUS-1-2011-1-FITEMPUS-SMGR Towards Trust in Quality Assurance Systems, 530576-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-SE-TEMPUS-SMHE. Having worked in the ELT sphere for more than 30 years, he turned the focus of his research to classroom and textbook languages involved in ELT as an object of critical discourse analysis. mykhailo.suknov@nure.ua
Fabienne Vailes orcid.org/0000-0001-6104-470X: UNITED KINGDOM, University of Bristol, Faculty of Arts, School of Modern Languages, Department of French. Fabienne is a French Language Director, SFHEA. f.vailes@bristol.ac.uk
Kari-Lynn Winters orcid.org/0000-0001-9587-8489: CANADA, Brock University, Education. Interested in art education, STEAM, multimodal literacies, and literature pedagogies/research, Dr. Winters is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies. Additionally, Kari-Lynn is an award-winning Canadian children’s author, teacher, performer, and playwright. She holds degrees from UBC, OISE/UT, Brock University and National Theatre School. kwinters@brocku.ca
Zahra Akbari (Iran, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences)
Ewa Bandura (Poland, Jagiellonian University in Kraków)
Myriam Cherro Samper (Spain, University of Alicante)
Ivana Cimermanova (Slovakia, University of Presov)
Christiane Dalton-Puffer (Austria, University of Vienna)
Leah Davcheva (Bulgaria, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski)
Bernard O’Donoghue (England, University of Oxford)
Veronique Duche (Australia, The University of Melbourne)
Rebecca Giles (Alabama, University of South Alabama)
Tatjana Glusac (Serbia, University of Novi Sad)
Eleni Griva (Greece, University of Western Macedonia)
Viola Gjylbegaj (United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi University)
Yasunari Harada (Japan, Wesada University)
Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė (Lithuania, Vytautas Magnus University Education Academy)
Irene Krasner (Califirnia, Defense Language Institute Foreign Language School)
Geraldine McDermott (Ireland, Athlone Institute of Technology)
Eugene O’Brien (Ireland, Mary Immaculate College)
Nesrin Ozdener (Turkey, University of Marmara)
Maria Dolores Ramirez-Verdugo (Spain, Autonomous University of Madrid)
Goran Schmidt (Croatia, University of Osijek)
Michał Zawadzki (Sweden, Jönköping International Business School)