Learner Narratives of Translingual Identities

Patrick Kiernan is Associate Professor in the School of Business Administration at Meji University in Tokyo. He is an applied linguist interested in language, and identity. He is author of Narrative Identity in English Language Teaching (2010) and Language, Identity and Cycling in the New Media Age (2018).

This book addresses translingual identities through an innovative multimodal analysis of the language learning histories of a class of advanced learners of English in Japan who grew up between two or more languages. The author explores both the translingual experiences of those in the classroom and how they use language and gesture when describing their experiences to each other. This approach uses three perspectives: it looks at the worlds and identities the interviewees construct for themselves; at their interpersonal communication; and at the way they frame their experience. Finally, it offers some lessons based on the observations of the class which reveal the values they share and the key to their success as language learners. It will appeal to applied linguistic and educational researchers, particularly those with an interest in narrative approaches to exploring educational contexts, as well as language educators and policy makers interested in gaining a learner perspective on language learning.

Presents a novel synthesis of research in identity, multimodality and learning histories

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part One: Theoretical Concerns.- Chapter 2. Multimodal resources in face-to-face interviews.- Chapter 3. Three perspectives on gesture and meaning.- Chapter 4. Ideational meaning and the experience of transcultural identity.- Chapter 5. Community, identity, and interpersonal resources.- Chapter 6. Framing, narrative, and textual semiotic resources.- Part Two: Learner Narratives of Translingual Identity.- Chapter 7. Aspiring translinguals.- Chapter 8. Confident translinguals.- Chapter 9. Translingual heritage.- Part Three: The Translingual Community.- Chapter 10. A translingual community of practice.- Chapter 11. Lessons from a successful translingual community.- Chapter 12. Conclusion.