Appraising Adult Second-Language Learners’ Subjectivity and Ability in Virtual Worlds

Abstract

This paper uses Appraisal analysis to explore adult second-language learners' realisations connecting self and ability when using Second Life. In particular, possible selves theory was used to discover whether learners realised a variety of selves. Studies of avatar subjectivity have focused on appearance and bricolage as vehicles for virtual subjectivity. Motivation theory articulates relations between various selves including the here-and-now self and desired selves which may function as self-guides, if a learning task is seen as realistic. In all, 40 student blogs were analysed using computational methods. This study found support for both approaches. Six frequently-occurring positive, and three frequently-occurring negative connections between self and ability are explored through examples. Conclusions are that virtual subjectivity is more goal-oriented and less involved with appearance and game-play in older users, older users accept social limitations on self, and second-language learners' metacritical awareness may impact their ability to understand language tasks as realistic.

Dressing and Being: Appraising Costume and Identity in English Second-Language Drama

“…In 16, 19 and 20, the modality of possibility ("can", "able to") and related expressions realise a positive ability or potentiality of the self which has been activated by costume (DeCoursey, 2013). In 18 and 19, the actor attributes changes in self to costume.…”