Blogging Identity: How L2 Learners Express Themselves

Abstract

This study discusses language learning and identity, particularly pertaining to intermediateadvanced-level Japanese-language learners, focusing on their target language and identity expression through their interactions with peers and Japanese college students. When learners of Japanese express their identities while interacting with others in their target language, they feel a gap between the self-image they want to present, and the image they are capable of presenting in Japanese (Siegal, 1994(Siegal, , 1995(Siegal, , 1996. Along with adjusting their L1 and L2 usage depending on their interlocutor (Kurata 2007), learners also use different sentence-ending styles depending on the role they want to assume (Cook 2008). By conducting a case study, the present inquiry attempts to address how learners of Japanese express their identities through blog conversations, focusing on their language choice and expressions. Results suggest that participants use the formal endings for self-presentation and projection of their student and classmate identity. However, when expressing emotion some students preferred informal endings, or sentence-final particles.Key words: SLA; identity; blog; sentence final expression; JFL PovzetekŠtudija obravnava povezavo med učenjem jezika in identiteto in se še posebej osredotoča na študente japonščine na srednjem in višjem nivoju ter njihovim ciljnim jezikom in izrazi identitete v pogovorih s prijatelji in japonskimi študenti. Splošno znano je, da študent japonščine ob izražanju svoje identitete v tujem jeziku občuti razliko med podobo, ki si jo želi orisati, in podobo, ki jo je sposoben orisati v japonščini (Siegal, 1994(Siegal, , 1995(Siegal, , 1996. Poleg tega govorec prilagaja tako materni kot tudi tuj jezik, hkrati pa izbira med različnimi oblikami na koncu stavkov, s katerimi nakazuje govorni stil in prevzeto vlogo v komunikaciji (Kurata 2007). S študijo primerov raziskava razkrije, kako študenti japonščine razkrijejo svojo identiteto preko blogov. Raziskava se osredotoča predvsem na izbiro jezika in izraze. Rezultati kažejo, da sodelujoči uporabljajo formalne oblike za samopredstavitve in napovedi identitete sovrstnikov, medtem ko so neformalne oblike in členki na koncu povedi priljubljeni pri izražanju čustev.Ključne besede: usvajanje tujega jezika, identiteta, blog, izrazi na koncu povedi, poučevanje japonščine kot tujega jezika 54 FUJII Kiyomi