Aspiring Multilinguals or Contented Bilinguals? University Students Negotiating Their Multilingual and Professional Identities

Autor/in	Pirhonen, Hillamaria
Titel	Aspiring Multilinguals or Contented Bilinguals? University Students Negotiating Their Multilingual and Professional Identities
Quelle	In: Language Learning in Higher Education, 13 (2023) 1, S.5-27 (23 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2191-611X
DOI	10.1515/cercles-2023-2006
Schlagwörter	Multilingualism; Bilingualism; Professional Identity; Social Sciences; Majors (Students); Student Attitudes; Self Concept; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Career Readiness; Work Environment; Social Attitudes; Career Choice; Occupational Aspiration; Foreign Countries; Finland + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mehrsprachigkeit; Multilingualismus; Bilingualismus; Social science; Sozialwissenschaften; Gesellschaftswissenschaften; Schülerverhalten; Selbstkonzept; English as second language; English; Second Language; Englisch als Zweitsprache; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Arbeitsmilieu; Social attidude; Soziale Einstellung; Berufsneigung; Berufsziel; Ausland; Finnland
Abstract	An increasingly multilingual working life expects university graduates to possess multilingual competences, but at the same time many European students study fewer languages than before. As they learn about field-specific linguistic practices and contemplate their future, university students negotiate their identities as language learners and future professionals. Supporting them in acquiring a multilingual identity would be beneficial as it is a strengthening factor in language learning. Since they study towards a profession, it is likely that students examine language learning from the viewpoint of a working life. From these premises, Finnish social science students were interviewed as a part of a course that supported their readiness to work in multilingual environments. The purpose was to investigate how they negotiated their multilingual and professional identities and how these negotiations intersect. The data was examined from a poststructural perspective, analysing identity negotiations by means of positioning theory. The results show that the students constructed their linguistic identities primarily in relation to English competences, often positioning themselves as "contentedly bilingual". The data also revealed an "aspiring multilingual" identity negotiation which, however, echoed societal ideologies on language learning rather than describing the students' internalised beliefs. Students' certainty of their future profession was often connected to a confidence in speaking English and a critical stance towards the need for multilingual competences. Multilingual identity negotiation was hence connected to prevailing discourses and professional aspirations. The study provides new perspectives on university students' multilingual and professional identities and suggests pedagogical solutions that can support their development in Higher Education language teaching. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01