Lorraine de Beaufort

Laboratoire Atilf, UMR 7118, équipe Didactique des langues et sociolinguistique, Université de Lorraine-CNRS (France)

In this talk, I will present findings from two participants in a narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000), showing how learning French and other so-called ‘additional’ languages in Hong Kong provides affordances for identity construction. This takes place despite limited levels of proficiency, in conventional terms. The learning of French and other languages is also a way of dealing with the pressures and limitations of their context, with interactions between the personal, institutional and socio-political levels (Barkhuizen, 2016). This talk argues for the usefulness of narratives in understanding multilingual learner development, and considers their possible role in language pedagogy. The talk also briefly considers some of the methodological challenges of narrative inquiry such as the need to bring closure to narratives that are always ongoing.


Sessions

Challenges in Multilingual Learner Development

Sat, May 15, 18:00-19:30 JST

Connecting with the theme of “Local and Global Perspectives: Plurilingualism and Multilingualism,” this forum will feature presentations that explore the development of linguistic diversity in learners’ lives and environments, whether within formal education or in the wider world. What affordances and constraints do learners face in developing their linguistic repertoires beyond a simple binary of first and second language? What challenges do they face as multilingual learners and users in participating in different communities and in becoming more autonomous? What peculiar trajectories do learners’ language biographies take, and what dilemmas, questions, or puzzles do they have? Why? In this Learner Development SIG Forum at PanSIG 2021, we would like to explore the challenges and benefits of learning and using multiple languages from diverse perspectives. The forum will feature timed rounds of interactive presentations followed by reflective writing and discussion. Presenters and participants will also be invited to contribute writing and related multimedia resources to the LD SIG’s newsletter, Learning Learning.