Identity and investment in language education: an interview with Bonny Norton

Abstract

Her research interests are related to identity, power, and language learning. Her work has influenced not only us Brazilian researchers and language educators, but professionals involved with education worldwide. Her efforts to bring social justice and fight inequality through her research findings are endless, specially calling out attention to relevant issues as gender, ethnic and social class differences. Norton is a highly productive scholar, her publications include 5 books, 4 journal special issues, and 125 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her current research addresses multilingual literacy for children in African, Canadian, and other global communities. Este é um artigo de acesso aberto, licenciado por Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional (CC BY 4.0), sendo permitidas reprodução, adaptação e distribuição desde que o autor e a fonte originais sejam creditados. Norton, Nicolaides e Mira-Identity and investment in language education Calidoscópio-v. 18, n. 3, setembro-dezembro 2020 768 Interviewers Christine Nicolaides (CN) is a professor and researcher at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, and her research interests are related to language learning based on the Vygotskyan sociocultural theory, more specifically she discusses and analyses the concept of sociocultural autonomy, originally brought up by Rebecca Oxford, in different language learning environments. Caio Mira (CM) is a researcher and professor at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, and his research concerns oral narratives, identities, discourse and social interaction, conversation analysis in institutional contexts and interactions in the context of Alzheimer illness.

Factors Affecting Uzbek Students’ Prewriting Investment at a South Korean University

“…In accordance with Norton [3], the study found that participants were inclined to invest more positively in prewriting activities when they perceived a gain in symbolic resources. Norton and Toohey [8] describe these resources as language skills, social networks, and educational access.…”

“…(Eric's interview, 25 May 2023) This shift from a passive approach to actively choosing words and organizing ideas indicated a more engaged relationship between Eric and his prewriting tasks. More specifically, Eric's reconfiguration of his connection to the practices of specific prewriting discussions [3] was ostensibly driven by the pursuit of better grades. Essentially, such an investment aimed at securing the symbolic resource associated with gaining access to graduate education.…”

“…The collaborative prewriting discussions were instrumental in establishing social networks among peers. Within the context of this course, these peer social networks were regarded as symbolic resources [3,8] that granted students access to language skills and prewriting practices. These resources, intrinsic in the course, reflected Darvin and Norton [25]'s concept that investment in a target language constitutes a continuous and dynamic interplay of communication within the learning community, extending to all its members.…”

“…As Norton [3,6] illustrates, investment is a dynamic process where students continually reshape their relationship with the target language learning context. All three participants diligently engaged in the prewriting practices to acquire the symbolic resources they valued, constantly redefining their engagement with the prewriting discussion context.…”

“…Drawing from established theories and findings, this study delves into the engagement of international students during the prewriting phase. Using Norton's "investment" construct, the research explores how international students continuously recalibrate their relationship with both themselves and the learning context [3] during the ideation and organization of their written work. As these students engage in prewriting activities, such as brainstorming, they maneuver within a dynamic setting that includes their peer interactions.…”