Identity and Language
Bucholtz and Hall define identity as "the social positioning of self and other" (2005: 586). That is our identity can be positioned through or constructed in an interaction with others at this moment, and at the next moment, our identity is shaped and renegotiated again because we communicate with different people in a distinct context. This sociocultural linguistic approach is adopted in our research on Pakistani students' identity construction in Hong Kong. We believe by comparing two diverse learning environment -- one is local school, the other is Islamic school -- there are a number of different interactions found every single day with different parties. The concept that one's identity is forged through their linguistic interaction is therefore essential for our research and effective in helping us analyze our informants' respective identities.
We have employed Joanna Thornborrow's perception on how language interactively constructs one’s identity. Identity, according to Thomborrow, is shaped and negotiated throughout the interaction with different groups in the society in different circumstances (2003, p.158). In order to demonstrate different social roles, interlocutors will adopt the uses of code-switching, code-mixing, and different language styles. Besides of social roles, identity construction and affiliation or disaffiliation to a certain social community can be reflected from their manner and choice of language. In light of this, it is possible for interlocutors to manipulate language when they would like to show their connection with a certain group or social class.
Significance to our research
In this research, we would like to explore how the identity construction of Pakistani students through their language choice and speech style, as well as the potential differences between informants from Islamic school and local school. Using this framework as the foundation, we would like to examine other factors attributing to identity construction in addition to linguistic aspects.
Literature Review
Ideologies and Attitudes
Myers Scotton (2006) used ethos as a useful umbrella to cover both attitudes towards languages and language ideologies. Ethos also embeds the concept of ethnicity, which implies “a group mind”. In other words, members of an ethnic group are often considered to have a “collective consciousness”.
“Ethos” mean “Characteristic spirit, a prevalent tone of sentiment of a people or community” (following the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).
Attitudes towards language (social meaning of language variety)
“Social facts or ideas experienced by the group mind and expressed or ‘reincarnated’ in the minds and behaviors of the individual members of the social group (Williams, 1999). We see language we speak as an intrinsic part of our identity.
Language Ideologies (In-group and out-group)
Scholars wish to shift the attention from discussing languages as “Properties of communities” to discussing languages as “boundaries of communities” (Gal and Irvine, 2000).
“Language as identity” as the most obvious outward sign of a group ethos (Myer Scotton, 2006), exploring the nature of group identity and the role that language plays in symbolizing a positive or negative identity for a group.
Pierre Bourdieu (1982;1991) described a person’s linguistic repertoire as a source of symbolic power. He used habitus as a set of “dispositions” These dispositions generate practices and attitudes that are like norms, because without being consciously coordinated, they incline individuals to act and react in similar ways in daily life in line with the social conditions in which they were raised. In our study, students in two different schooling settings are in two habitus. Referring back to our framework described previously on attitudes towards language and language ideologies, students would develop "unconscious assessments" on the role that language plays in symbolising a positive or negative identity for a group. And language may be the most "visible" symbol of a group as explained by Myer Scotton (2006).
From our observation, students from the local school are more willing to communicate in Cantonese than those from the Islamic school. They do enjoy the time talking with local friends and therefore Cantonese is essential to the communication. Whereas, students from the Islamic school have fewer chances to communicate in Cantonese at school, and thus they do not value Cantonese as highly as students from the local school. While Myer Scotton (2006) explained that language attitudes and ideologies can have an emotional basis, and more importantly, they always have an instrumental basis as well. It is because in the setting at school, students cannot avoid speaking to others and speaking Cantonese in class can be the admission ticket to membership in groups. It is always done unconsciously and natural to do so; It is not anything bad!
When students love the communication, they speak and practice more of that language. And after some time, they realised they became better and are confident in the communication.
Symbolic Power
Admission ticket to communicate?
