Exploring Study-Abroad Chinese Students' Self-Identity Construction in L2 Context: A View of Cultural Practice Theory

• In Event: Ecologies and Identities in Second Language Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand how L2 students change their self-identities when overcoming language barriers within a social and cultural context. Through the voices of 3 Chinese college students enrolled in an American college, this study attempts to demonstrate the interplay between L2 acquisition and self-identity constructions. The data is collected from 8-week field observations, interviews, students’ dairies, and informal conversations. Results indicate that the participants’ positioning in the U.S. school is greatly determined by their perceptions on English communicative proficiency and utilization of their culture capital. The study suggests international students to develop not only the language proficiency but also their own cultural capital through active social and cultural practices.

Authors

• Maomao Feng, Binghamton University - SUNY

• Hoe Kyeung Kim, Binghamton University - SUNY