language learning, identities and emotions during the year abroad

449 Pages·2011·6.38 MB·English

by  Sonia Gallucci

LANGUAGE LEARNING, IDENTITIES AND EMOTIONS DURING
THE YEAR ABROAD: CASE STUDIES OF BRITISH ERASMUS
STUDENTS IN ITALY.

by
SONIA GALLUCCI (B.A., M.A.)

A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

School of Education
The University of Birmingham
June 2011
University of Birmingham Research Archive

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ABSTRACT

The study presented in this thesis was designed with a view to investigating the lived
experiences of three young British women spending a Year Abroad (YA) in Italy as a
part of their undergraduate degree course. The study was guided by four research
questions (see § 1.3). The empirical work was ethnographically-informed and combined
interviews, diary entries, photos and photo captions with audio and video recordings.
My understanding of the participants’ experiences was mostly built up through thematic
and lexical analysis of the interview transcripts. I first focused on the themes which
recurred most frequently in the participants’ discourse. I then examined the affective
lexis that the participants drew on in expressing emotions and, drawing on the insights
occurred from this aspect of the data, I built an account of their perceptions of and
reactions to cultural difference. In addition, I looked into the specific ways in which
they negotiated and reconfigured their identities as second language learners during the
experience abroad. This study offers a new lens on the YA experience and demonstrates
the value of cross-disciplinary research, which takes account of emotions in the
negotiation of second language learner identities and in the handling of intercultural
encounters.
This thesis is dedicated to Ilaria and Matteo

Che l’esercizio del pensiero tramite lo studio e la lettura
possa aiutarvi a capire l’importanza di qualunque illuminazione.

La complessità del mondo può essere spaventosa, ma
l’esercizio del pensiero permette di tessere sottilissime reti
d’oro da gettare sulla realtà per poterla abituare. Serve
lavorare tanto, ruminare molte letture, pensare tanti
pensieri. Nutrire la mente possibilmente con cibi di buona
qualità. Ci vuole allenamento, bisogna arare il terreno per
prepararlo a ricevere qualunque “illuminazione”.

BENEDETTA TOBAGI, Come mi batte forte il cuore.
Acknowledgments
First of all, I would like to express special appreciation to Professor Marilyn Martin-
Jones, who with exceptional talent and unique expertise managed the task of being my
lead supervisor, always with scrupulous detail and indefatigable energy. I will always
remember her continuous dedication and encouragement with immense gratitude.
I would also like to express sincere appreciation to my second supervisor, Doctor
Magdalena Kubanyiova for her invaluable academic assistance and her strong and
continuous support throughout my research study.
In Italy, I would like to thank the Region of Sardinia for having sponsored the first three
years of my research study with a scholarship under the programme Master and Back.
My thanks also go to the ERASMUS office in Cagliari (Sardinia) whose help has been
crucial in order to make contact with international students in the initial phases of my
studies, and through which I met two students who participated in this study.
At the University of Birmingham, I would like to thank the Italian Department, where I
distributed information about my project, and where I met one student who participated
in this study. In particular, I would like to thank Professor Mike Caesar and Dr. Clodagh
Brook for the financial aid in the first year of my research study, and Ms. Clelia Boscolo
who provided valuable information in the initial stages of my research. Special thanks
go to Dr. Paolo De Ventura for his precious advice as a supervisor in the first year of my
study, and for his warm encouragement as a friend.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the School of Education for continual
academic and technical support throughout my research study. Within the School of
Education, special recognition is due to the Department of Language, Discourse and
Society and to the MOSAIC Centre for Research on Multilingualism for the vibrant,
encouraging and inspiring academic environment. Sincere gratitude also goes to the
Director of Studies for Research Degrees, Dr. Sheena Gardner, who gave me invaluable
guidance when applying for the conversion bursary, which provided me with financial
assistance and helped me towards an earlier thesis submission.
I would like to thank the students who participated in this study: Daphne, Ilaria and
Lucy. Without their valuable collaboration, this research would have not been possible.
In London, I would like to thank my colleagues at Regent’s College. Appreciation is
expressed, in particular, to the Head of Department of Languages and Cross-cultural
Studies, Josef Mueller.
Sincere thanks for the strong support of all my friends and colleagues with whom I
shared many aspects of my research.
Grazie di cuore Silvia, la tua fiducia e il tuo affetto sono balsamo per il mio animo.
Grazie di cuore Anna Maria, per avermi accompagnato lungo questo cammino e per
avermi presa per mano quando la via sembrava buia e incerta.
Un ringraziamento affettuoso alla mia famiglia. Grazie ad Anto per le parole
d’incoraggiamento. A Cinzia, Gigi, Matte e Ila per tutti i sorrisi che non avevano
bisogno di parole. A zia Gonaria per avermi insegnato ad affrontare le battaglie con
allegria e coraggio. A mio padre per avermi mostrato l’importanza del lavoro e
dell’esercizio del pensiero. A mia madre, per aver creduto in me. Meda gratzias
mamma, sos ojos tuos, de boltas severa, m’han datu forza e coraggiu.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION page

1.1. Introduction 1
1.2. Nature and significance of this study 1
1.3. Research approach and research questions 3
1.4. Overall organisation of the thesis 4

CHAPTER 2 – CONTEXT OF STUDY: THE YEAR ABROAD

2.1. Introduction 6

2.2. ERASMUS exchange programme and student mobility 7

2.3. Foreign language study and the Year Abroad 9
2.3.1. Development of linguistic proficiency 10
2.3.2. Individual differences, dispositions and perceptions 12
2.3.3. The need to narrow the research lens 15

2.4. The sociocultural turn in studies of residence abroad 16
2.4.1. Communicative Competence 16
2.4.2. Intercultural Communicative Competence 17
2.4.3. Intercultural Awareness 19
2.4.4. Pedagogic initiatives 22
2.4.5. Intercultural learning: the role of experience, emotions and
reflection 25

2.5. Summary 28

CHAPTER 3 – LANGUAGE, EMOTIONS AND IDENTITIES

3.1. Introduction 30

3.2. Early theorisation of emotions 31

3.3. Emotions in Intercultural Communication 34

3.4. Cross-cultural perspectives 36

3.5. Verbal expression of emotions 39

3.6. Perspectives on emotions from Pragmatics 43
3.7. Researching an affective lexicon 45

3.8. Identities and emotions from a poststructuralist perspective 48
3.8.1. Poststructuralist discourse on identity 49
3.8.2. Emotional investment 53
3.8.3. Language desire 59
3.8.4. Identity and language learning: emotions as an under-researched
area 61

3.9. Summary 62
CHAPTER 4 – RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

4.1. Introduction 64

4.2. My approach to research design 65
4.2.1. Building a sample 71
4.2.2. A multiple case study informed by ethnography 72
4.2.3. My role as a researcher and as an ethnographic interviewer 75

4.3. Data collection methods 76
4.3.1. Methods designed and applied 77
4.3.2. A specific interactive method: interviews 79
4.3.3. Diary-based interviews 80
4.3.4. Photo-based interviews 83
4.3.5. The language of the interviews 85

4.4. Reflections on chosen methods 88

4.5. Ethics 90
4.5.1. Transparency 91
4.5.2. Transparency as an ethical concern for my research design 94
4.5.3. Other ethical concerns arising from my research methods 96

4.6. Preparing the data for analysis 97
4.6.1. Transcribing the data 97
4.6.2. First steps into data analysis 98
4.6.3. My use of the NVivo software 99
4.6.4. Some discrepancies between design and practice 106

4.7. Summary 107
CHAPTER 5 – PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

5.1. Introduction 110

5.2. The participants of this study 110
5.2.1. Daphne 111
5.2.2. Ilaria 113
5.2.3. Lucy 115

5.3. The urban settings 117
5.3.1. Ferrara 117
5.3.2. Cagliari 121

5.4. Snapshots of neighbourhoods and service encounters 124
5.4.1. Neighbourhoods 125
5.4.2. Service encounters 127
5.5. Summary 130
CHAPTER 6 – NEGOTIATING IDENTITIES AND ENGAGING IN
ACTIVITIES ACROSS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND
SOCIAL NETWORKS

6.1. Introduction 131

6.2. Types of environments 132

6.3. Learning environments 134
6.3.1. Naturalistic environments 134
6.3.2. Instructed environments 139

6.4. Emotional investments and language desire across social networks
and opportunities for using Italian 142
6.4.1. Daphne 143
6.4.2. Lucy 156
6.4.3. Ilaria 167

6.5. Participants’ negotiation of identities 179
6.5.1. Lucy: resisting the (re)construction of her L2 identity 179
6.5.2. Ilaria: consciously performing a new identity 186
6.5.3. Daphne: commitment to the development of her L2 identity 192

6.6. Summary and discussion 199
CHAPTER 7 – EXPRESSING EMOTIONS AND ARTICULATING VIEWS
ABOUT CULTURAL DIFFERENCE

7.1. Introduction 204

7.2. Affective lexicon in emotive discourse in direct accounts 205
7.2.1. Quantitative findings 206
7.2.2. Untranslatable terms for emotion 212

7.3. Participants’ affective lexicon 217
7.3.1. Daphne 217
7.3.2. Lucy 227
7.3.3. Ilaria 235

7.4. Emotive accounts of cultural difference 244
7.4.1. Daphne 246
7.4.2. Ilaria 249
7.4.3. Lucy 252

7.5. Summary and discussion 255
CHAPTER 8 – CONCLUSIONS

8.1. Introduction 258
8.2. Returning to my research questions 259
8.3. Exploration of the implications for pedagogy 263
8.4. A new window on institutional responses to the Year Abroad 264
8.5. Constraints on this case study 266
8.6. Recommendations for future research 268

REFERENCES
APPENDICES
Appendix 1 – Consent form i
Appendix 2 – Transcription conventions iii

Appendix 3 – Interview transcripts

Daphne
1.First interview iv
2.Second interview vii
3.Third interview xli
4.Fourth interview xlv
5.Fifth interview liv
6.Sixth interview lx

Ilaria
1. First interview lxiv
2. Second interview lxv
3. Third interview lxxiii
4. Fourth interview lxxxi
5. Fifth interview lxxxv
6. Sixth interview xcii