The Online/Offline Identity Dichotomy

• In Event: Researching Digital Tools and Online Language Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Much research points to an existing relationship between language and identity. This study focused on identity changes among a group of Syrian women refugees studying English online. I aimed to investigate factors that impacted their identity and explored their online and offline identities. Through narrative inquiry, I examined the experiences of nine participants but only highlighted the stories of two. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, online observations, video recordings, journal writing, and researcher reflections. Using Clandinin and Connelly’s (2000) three-dimensional space approach, the narratives highlight how the participants developed their identities and the obstacles they faced in their language learning journey. The narratives have important implications for supporting the growth of refugees as language learners.

Author

• Alia Hadid, University of Rhode Island