Role of identity in learning second language

The origin of identity comes from Late 16th century (in the sense ‘quality of being

identical’): from Late Latin identities, from Latin idem ‘same’. The word identity has a lot of

meanings 1.The fact of being whom or what a person or thing is 2.A close similarity or affinity;

it focuses how language constructs and is constructed by a variety of relationships

(https://en.oxforddictionaries.com).

There is a powerful relationship between identity and language learning, which have

concerned many diverse of scholars especially in the field of study of languages. There are many

interests in identity and language learning and features of “identity” in most encyclopedias and

handbooks of language learning and teaching (Norton & Toohey 2002; Ricento 2005; McKinney

& Norton 2008; Norton 2010; Morgan & Clarke 2011) even in broader in applied linguistic.

“Many authors and identity researchers by using illustrative examples show that how

gender, sexuality etc. interact with language learning in all regions of the entire world (Norton

pierce 1995; Norton 1997, Norton 2000, 2001) Martina was an English language learner from

Eastern Europe who had immigrated to Canada for a better life for her three children. Partly

because she was not a proficient speaker of English, she struggled to find work in her profession

as a quantity surveyor, and was employed in a fast food restaurant in the greater Toronto area.

Her co-workers, as well as the manager’s children (who frequently visited the restaurant), were

all born in Canada, and spoke English fluently. What Martina communicates in this extract is that

engaging in social interaction with her co-workers was a struggle, primarily because she was

positioned as a dehumanized and inanimate ‘broom’. To resist these marginalizing practices,

Martina reframed her relationship with her co-workers as domestic rather than professional, and

from the identity position ‘mother’, rather than ‘immigrant’ or ‘broom’, she claimed the right to

speak”( Bonny Norton University of British Columbia, Canada bonny.norton@ubc.ca) .

All of identities might not be clarify through an article. Recent diverse interesting era are

studying identity and language learning , it could be anticipated that the identities and through

enthusiasm and investment on language learners , also their teachers , will be product more

exciting about the identities research in the future.