Forming Identity through Foreign Language Learning

master's thesis

• Author: Ivana Lončar
• Mentor: Marina Grubišić (mentor)
• Committee member: Ivana Bašić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Anđel Starčević (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2020-04-28, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

The objective of this research paper was to get an insight into the phenomenon of forming identity through foreign language learning by exploring the attitudes and feelings English and Swedish language students of the last year of the graduate program have towards English and Swedish and finding out whether they have been able to identify with the language, culture and/or the communities of the languages they have been studying for the last five years. In the research, five students of English and Swedish were interviewed and through reflection and retrospection they provided data for this qualitative research study. The research showed that the participants’ change of identity was manifested through code-switching and speech as well as the creation of new character traits while using a foreign language. The research results also suggested that the participants, even though they felt different while speaking different languages, did not affiliate with the nations or the communities of the languages. Furthermore, the analysis of the participants’ answers showed that the participants believed that through foreign language learning one acquires a new layer of identity. The participants also felt they have identified more with English as they had been learning it longer than Swedish and since they have had more opportunities to use it. Since a small number of participants was included in this research, the results cannot be used as generalization, but can be used as orientation for further research and can be valuable to teachers and other education experts.

• Keywords: identity; culture; bilingualism; foreign language learning; English; Swedish
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:889788
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (double major); specializations in: Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2020-05-02 15:05:19