Keywords
language learning story interview
qualitative comparative analysis
How to Cite
Number of views: 1318
Number of downloads: 1025
Abstract
In this study we investigate the situated and dynamic nature of the L2 learning experience through a newly-purposed instrument called the Language Learning Story Interview, adapted from McAdams’ life story interview (2007). Using critical case sampling, data were collected from an equal number of learners of various L2s (e.g., Arabic, English, Mandarin, Spanish) and analyzed using qualitative comparative analysis (Rihoux & Ragin, 2009). Through our data analysis, we demonstrate how language learners construct overarching narratives of the L2 learning experience and what the characteristic features and components that make up these narratives are. Our results provide evidence for prototypical nuclear scenes (McAdams et al., 2004) as well as core specifications and parameters of learners’ narrative accounts of the L2 learning experience. We discuss how these shape motivation and language learning behavior.
References
Ahmed, S. (2004). Affective economies. Social Text, 79, 117-139.
Ahmed, S. (2010). The promise of happiness. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2016). Unconscious motivation: Part I: Implicit attitudes toward L2 speakers. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 6, 423-454.
Arbuckle, J., & Williams, B. D. (2003). Students’ perceptions of expressiveness: Age and gender effects on teacher evaluations. Sex Roles, 49, 507-516.
Barrett, L. F. (2006). Solving the emotion paradox: Categorization and the experience of emotion. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 10, 20-46.
Beleche, T., Fairris, D., & Marks, M. (2012). Do course evaluations truly reflect student learning? Evidence from an objectively graded post-test. Economics of Education Review, 31, 709-719.
Braga, M., Paccagnella, M., & Pellizzari, M. (2014). Evaluating students’ evaluations of professors. Economics of Education Review, 41, 71-88.
Bruner, J. (1986). Actual minds, possible worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Bruner, J. (1987). Life as narrative. Social Research, 54, 11-32.
Bruner, J. (1990). Acts of meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Carrell, S. E., & West, J. E. (2010). Does professor quality matter? Evidence from random assignment of students to professors. Journal of Political Economy, 118, 409-432.
Dörnyei, Z. (2005). The psychology of the language learner: Individual differences in second language acquisition. London, England: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Dörnyei, Z. (2008, March). Are individual differences really individual? Plenary given at the meeting of the American Association for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC.
Dörnyei, Z. (2009a). Individual differences: Interplay of learner characteristics and learning environment. Language Learning, 59, 230-248.
Dörnyei, Z. (2009b). The L2 motivational self system. In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 9-42). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
Dörnyei, Z. (2017). Conceptualizing learner characteristics in a complex, dynamic world. In L. Ortega & Z. Han (Eds.), Complexity theory and language development: In celebration of Diane Larsen-Freeman (pp. 79-96). Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Dörnyei, Z., & Chan, L. (2013). Motivation and vision: An analysis of future L2 self images, sensory styles, and imagery capacity across two target languages. Language Learning, 63, 437-462.
Dörnyei, Z., MacIntyre, P. D., & Henry, A. (Eds.). (2015). Motivational dynamics in language learning. Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
Dörnyei, Z., & Ryan, S. (2015). The psychology of the language learner revisited. New York: Routledge.
Gardner, R. C. (1985). Social psychology and second language learning: The role of attitudes and motivation. London, England: Edward Arnold.
Gardner, R. C. (2007). Motivation and second language acquisition. Porta Linguarum, 8, 9-20.
Gardner, R. C. (2010). Motivation and second language acquisition: The socio-educational model. New York: Peter Lang.
Hidi, S. (2006). Interest: A unique motivational variable. Educational Research Review, 1, 69-82.
Hidi, S., & Renninger, A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41, 111-127.
Hiver, P., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2016). A dynamic ensemble for second language research: Putting complexity theory into practice. Modern Language Journal, 100, 741-756.
Joe, H.-K., Hiver, P., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2017). Classroom social climate, self-determined motivation, willingness to communicate, and achievement: A study of structural relationships in instructed second language settings. Learning and Individual Differences, 53, 133-144.
Kane, M., & Trochim, W. (2007). Concept mapping for planning and evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Kim, Y.-K., & Kim, T.-Y. (2011). The effect of Korean secondary school students’ perceptual learning styles and ideal L2 self on motivated L2 behavior and English proficiency. Korean Journal of English Language and Linguistics, 11, 21-42.
Kramsch, C. (2008). Ecological perspectives on foreign language education. Language Teaching, 41, 389-408.
Lamb, M. (2012). A self system perspective on young adolescents’ motivation to learn English in urban and rural settings. Language Learning, 62, 997-1023.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2013). Complexity theory: A new way to think. Revista Brasileira de Linguistica Aplicada, 13, 369-373.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2015a). Ten ‘lessons’ from complex dynamic systems theory: What is on offer. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 11-19). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2015b). Saying what we mean: Making a case for ‘language acquisition’ to become ‘language development’. Language Teaching, 48, 491-505.
Lindquist, K., & Barrett, L. F. (2008). Emotional complexity. In M. Lewis, J. M. Haviland-Jones, & L. F. Barrett (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (3rd ed., pp. 513-530). New York: Guilford.
MacIntyre, P. D., & Serroul, A. (2015). Motivation on a per-second timescale: Examining approach-avoidance motivation during L2 task performance. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 109-138). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
MacNell, L., Driscoll, A., & Hunt, A. N. (2015). What’s in a name: Exposing gender bias in student ratings of teaching. Innovative Higher Education, 40, 291-303.
Masgoret, A.-M., & Gardner, R. C. (2003). Attitudes, motivation, and second language learning: A meta-analysis of studies conducted by Gardner and associates. Language Learning, 53, 123-163.
McAdams, D. P. (2006). The role of narrative in personality psychology today. Narrative Inquiry, 16, 11-18.
McAdams, D. P. (2007). The life story interview [Measurement instrument]. Retrieved from https://www.sesp.northwestern.edu/docs/LifeStoryInterview.pdf
McAdams, D. P. (2012). Exploring psychological themes through life narrative accounts. In J. A. Holstein & J. F. Gubrium (Eds.), Varieties of narrative analysis (pp. 15-32). London: SAGE.
McAdams, D. P. (2018). Narrative identity: What is it? What does it do? How do you measure it? Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 37, 359-372.
McAdams, D. P., Anyidoho, N., Brown, C., Huang, Y., Kaplan, B., & Machado, M. (2004). Traits and stories: Links between dispositional and narrative features of personality. Journal of Personality, 72, 761-784.
McAdams, D. P., Bauer, J., Sakaeda, A., Anyidoho, N., Machado, M., Magrino-Failla, K., White, K., & Pals, J. L. (2006). Continuity and change in the life story: A longitudinal study of autobiographical memories in emerging adulthood. Journal of Personality, 74, 1371-1400.
McAdams, D. P., & McLean, K. (2013). Narrative identity. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22, 233-238.
McAdams, D. P., & Pals, J. (2006). A new big five: Fundamental principles for an integrative science of personality. American Psychologist, 61, 204-217.
McLean, K., & Fournier, M. (2008). The content and processes of autobiographical reasoning in narrative identity. Journal of Research in Personality, 42, 527-545.
McLean, K., & Pasupathi, M. (2011). Old, new, borrowed, blue? The emergence and retention of personal meaning in autobiographical storytelling. Journal of Personality, 79, 135-164.
Moskovsky, C., Assulaimani, T., Racheva, S., & Harkins, J. (2016). The L2 Motivational Self System and L2 achievement: A study of Saudi EFL learners. Modern Language Journal, 100, 641-654.
Noels, K. (2001). Learning Spanish as a second language: Learners’ orientations and perceptions of their teachers’ communication style. Language Learning, 51, 107-144.
Nolen, S., Horn, I., & Ward, J. (2015). Situating motivation. Educational Psychologist, 50, 234-247.
Ottoboni, K., Boring, A., & Stark, P. (2016). Student evaluations of teaching (mostly) do not measure teaching effectiveness. ScienceOpen Research. http://doi.or g/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-EDU.AETBZC.v1
Pekrun, R., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2012). Academic emotions and student engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A.L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 259-282). New York: Springer.
Ragin, C. C. (2009). Reflections on casing and case-oriented research. In D. Byrne & C. C. Ragin (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of case-based methods (pp. 523-534). London, England: SAGE.
Ragin, C. C., & Davey, S. (2016). Fuzzy-set/Qualitative Comparative Analysis (Version 3.0). Irvine, California: Department of Sociology, University of California.
Rose, L., Rouhani, P., & Fischer, K. (2013). The science of the individual. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7, 152-158.
Rihoux, B., & Ragin, C. (Eds.). (2009). Configurational comparative methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Singer, J. (2004). Narrative identity and meaning making across the adult lifespan: An introduction. Journal of Personality, 72, 437-460.
Stark, P., & Freishtat, R. (2014). An evaluation of course evaluations. ScienceOpen Research. http://doi.org/10.14293/S2199-1006.1.SOR-EDU.AOFRQA.v1
Ushioda, E. (2001). Language learning at university: Exploring the role of motivational thinking. In Z. Dörnyei & R. Schmidt (Eds.), Motivation and second language acquisition (pp. 93-125). Honolulu, HI: University of Hawai’i at Mánoa.
Ushioda, E. (2009). A person-in-context relational view of emergent motivation, self and identity. In Z. Dörnyei & E. Ushioda (Eds.), Motivation, language identity and the L2 self (pp. 215-228). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
Ushioda, E. (2011). Language learning motivation, self and identity: Current theoretical perspectives. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 24, 199-210.
Ushioda, E. (2015). Context and complex dynamic systems theory. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 47-54). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
van Geert, P. (1994). Dynamic systems of development: Change between complexity and chaos. New York: Harvester.
van Lier, L. (2004). The ecology and semiotics of language learning: A Sociocultural perspective. Boston, MA: Kluwer.
Verspoor, M. (2015). Initial conditions. In Z. Dörnyei, P. D. MacIntyre, & A. Henry (Eds.), Motivational dynamics in language learning (pp. 38-46). Bristol, England: Multilingual Matters.
License
1.1 The Author hereby warrants that he/she is the owner of all the copyright and other intellectual property rights in the Work and that, within the scope of the present Agreement, the paper does not infringe the legal rights of another person. The owner of the copyright work also warrants that he/she is the sole and original creator thereof and that is not bound by any legal constraints in regard to the use or sale of the work.
1.2. The Publisher warrants that is the owner of the PRESSto platform for open access journals, hereinafter referred to as the PRESSto Platform.
2. The Author grants the Publisher non-exclusive and free of charge license to unlimited use worldwide over an unspecified period of time in the following areas of exploitation:
2.1. production of multiple copies of the Work produced according to the specific application of a given technology, including printing, reproduction of graphics through mechanical or electrical means (reprography) and digital technology;
2.2. marketing authorisation, loan or lease of the original or copies thereof;
2.3. public performance, public performance in the broadcast, video screening, media enhancements as well as broadcasting and rebroadcasting, made available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them;
2.4. inclusion of the Work into a collective work (i.e. with a number of contributions);
2.5. inclusion of the Work in the electronic version to be offered on an electronic platform, or any other conceivable introduction of the Work in its electronic version to the Internet;
2.6. dissemination of electronic versions of the Work in its electronic version online, in a collective work or independently;
2.7. making the Work in the electronic version available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, in particular by making it accessible via the Internet, Intranet, Extranet;
2.8. making the Work available according to appropriate license pattern Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) as well as another language version of this license or any later version published by Creative Commons.
3. The Author grants the Publisher permission to reproduce a single copy (print or download) and royalty-free use and disposal of rights to compilations of the Work and these compilations.
4. The Author grants the Publisher permission to send metadata files related to the Work, including to commercial and non-commercial journal-indexing databases.
5. The Author represents that, on the basis of the license granted in the present Agreement, the Publisher is entitled and obliged to:
5.1. allow third parties to obtain further licenses (sublicenses) to the Work and to other materials, including derivatives thereof or compilations made, based on or including the Work, whereas the provisions of such sub-licenses will be the same as with the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons sub-license or another language version of this license, or any later version of this license published by Creative Commons;
5.2. make the Work available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access the Work from a place and at a time individually chosen by them, without any technological constraints;
5.3. appropriately inform members of the public to whom the Work is to be made available about sublicenses in such a way as to ensure that all parties are properly informed (appropriate informing messages).
6. Because of the royalty-free provision of services of the Author (resulting from the scope of obligations stipulated in the present Agreement), the Author shall not be entitled to any author’s fee due and payable on the part of the Publisher (no fee or royalty is payable by the Publisher to the Author).
7.1. In the case of third party claims or actions for indemnity against the Publisher owing to any infractions related to any form of infringement of intellectual property rights protection, including copyright infringements, the Author is obliged to take all possible measures necessary to protect against these claims and, when as a result of legal action, the Publisher, or any third party licensed by the Publisher to use the Work, will have to abandon using the Work in its entirety or in part or, following a court ruling in a legal challenge, to pay damages to a third party, whatever the legal basis
7.2. The Author will immediately inform the Publisher about any damage claims related to intellectual property infringements, including the author’s proprietary rights pertaining to a copyrighted work, filed against the Author. of liability, the Author is obliged to redress the damage resulting from claims made by third party, including costs and expenditures incurred in the process.
7.3. To all matters not settled herein provisions of the Polish Civil Code and the Polish Copyright and Related Rights Act shall apply.