Gaining insight into students’ language experiences through their linguistic autobiographies

ABSTRACT

To write a linguistic autobiography is to explore and reflect on our lived experiences with language. The purpose of this research was to gain insight into students’ language experiences through their linguistic autobiographies and to gain a greater understanding of their relationship with and thoughts on language within their social contexts. In this socio-cultural, qualitative, single-design case study, data were generated through the linguistic autobiographies of thirty-five pre-service teachers of English. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic approach and the results uncovered five main themes. The findings highlighted issues relating to language conflict and its possible impact on linguistic identity in different contexts. The emotional undertones associated with language revealed in the linguistic autobiographies were enlightening. The study postulates that knowing how pre-service teachers position themselves in relation to language and society could assist with adjusting pedagogic practices to accommodate the linguistic needs of all in the class.

KEYWORDS:

• Linguistic autobiography
• pre-service teachers of english
• language experiences
• language identity
• language and society

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Loraine Prinsloo-Marcus

Loraine Prinsloo-Marcus: a linguistician with a background in language education. I have been involved in teaching aspects relating to language and literacy development for approximately ten years. This includes teaching Afrikaans (language, literature and culture), English literacy development, language pedagogy, translation studies, sociolinguistics as well as language and the media. I have a keen research interest in exploring literacy development at school and higher education, focusing specifically on second language learning and teaching. My PhD study investigated second language learning motivation and the willingness to communicate in a second language in higher education. My research interest in language transitioning spawns from observing many of my students negotiating their language transitioning from school to university and from my own experience negotiating my language transitioning both as a student and as a lecturer. My research interest relates to my reflective teaching philosophy, through which I aim to explore ways in which to make what I teach more accessible to students.

Bridget Campbell

Bridget Campbell: a pre-service teacher educator of English for 11 years. My scholarship, which began with my PhD studies, is grounded in researching my own practice as a pre-service teacher educator of English, using self-study and memory work to seek ways in which to understand what informs my teaching and how I can adapt my pedagogic practices to be more responsive to my students. Over time, my research interests broadened as I realised the need to better understand the socio-cultural backgrounds of the students so as to better respond to their needs and to become a change agent in my practice. Language is a social justice issue, and many students in higher education institutions are studying in a language that is not their mother tongue. I have extended my research into the language transitioning of students from secondary school to higher education. The methodologies that I employ in my research are narrative inquiry and arts-based methodologies. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues across the globe and am involved in a number of national and international collaborative research projects.