Identity Orientation in an English as a Lingua Franca Context: A Case Study
Keywords:
English as a lingua franca , individual and collective identity, English proficiency, ethnicity, genderAbstract
This work presents an exploration of individual and collective identity orientations in an English as a Lingua Franca context. Subjects of the study were forty-two non-native English speakers studying in different American universities. A mixed approach was implemented using a questionnaire and an interview. The exploration consisted mainly in identifying the effect of English proficiency, ethnic origin, and gender on the participants’ individual and collective identities orientations. To this end, the subjects were stratified based on their English proficiency, their ethnic origin, and their gender. Descriptive results indicated a tendency of the whole sample towards associating with individual identity. Data from the interview revealed a dynamic, hybrid identity orientation of the participants. With regards to the impact of English proficiency on the participants’ identity, although the participants felt part of a global community speaking English, it did not seem to have any effect. In fact, a boundary seemed to be adopted between English use and identity. However, some significant dissimilarities with regards to some dimensions relating to individual and collective identity orientation were revealed among the Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants as well as among males and females. Though not generalizable, these findings are worth considering when extending the research to a larger population. Other variables can also be considered for future research.
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