Insights from Second-Language Learners

In the past, second-language (L2) learners were viewed in ‘either/or’ terms –as motivated or unmotivated, introverted or extroverted, and so on. As Dr. Subrata Bhowmik explains, current studies now recognize that L2 students’ learning is more complex than ‘either/or’ terms: they encounter unique opportunities and constraints that influence their language learning experience. Particularly important in this mix are students’ ability to make a decision in response to the immediate context of learning (agency), their sense of who they are (identity), and their beliefs (ideology) about language learning.

These factors influence how students choose to act in a given context to achieve their learning goals. Their actions ultimately determine how successful they will be in achieving proficiency in the target language. Given their importance to L2 studies, Dr. Bhowmik investigated how these three constructs shape L2 writing and learning behaviours and the implications these constructs have for learners and instructors.

Past and Present Experience

Working in an English language program at a North American university, Dr. Bhowmik studied a class of 31 international students in a course intended to help them develop college-level writing skills. The students came from 12 countries and spoke numerous languages.

The students’ actions were influenced by the possibilities in the task, as well as their own convictions. It was evident that each student enacted his agency in the writing process, although its manifestations varied from one student to another. Students’ developing and evolving identity – their sense of who they are as learners – guided their behaviour. Dr. Bhowmik also explained that students’ learning abroad experienced a mixing of their home culture and current context, again affecting their L2 identity. How students chose to navigate these conflicting influences has important bearings on their actions.

Students’ previous experiences and their beliefs about language learning also informed their self-concepts. As Dr. Bhowmik explained, these beliefs shape students’ understanding of what it means to learn a language, as well as their behaviours and choices during learning tasks.

The study’s findings suggest that student agency, identity, and ideology are important to accomplishing classroom writing tasks. That is, students’ experiences influence the development, organization, and style of writing, leading students to complete their work in different ways. Past success also helped students generate confidence and connect their present task to previous work; as a result, lived experience was particularly important to how the students made sense of their tasks.

The participants’ responses speak to the importance of motivation and commitment. Their identities as learners often connected with perseverance and hard work, linking their behaviours with their goals of language proficiency. Students’ strong beliefs also shape their writing processes. For example, if students do not perceive a certain step or task to be important they may not engage with this aspect of the work. This is useful information for L2 instructors, who can support students by communicating the importance of different elements, and guiding the students through the assigned tasks based on their students’ perspectives.

Supporting L2 Writers

By understanding students’ agency, identity, and beliefs, instructors in these contexts can help L2 learners make use of their unique attributes more successfully in writing tasks. For instance, instead of viewing L2 learners through a deficit model – focusing on what they can’t do – utilizing their agency, and allowing their sense of self to come forward can compensate for their developing language abilities.

Instructors can realize this goal by:

• Designing creative tasks that explicitly connect to the writing process
• Helping students reflect critically on their work
• Emphasizing the value of good writing skills

As each student will respond differently based on their beliefs and experiences, establishing a classroom environment that allows them to flourish is the key.

Allowing students to assume an identity of their choice and express it through their writing is an effective way to engage their sense of agency. When their identity aligns with the task, it allows them to use their interests more authentically. Since not all students share a common identity, designing tasks with some flexibility, rather than being overly prescriptive, can support this. Explicitly describing the importance and purpose of the task will also help align students more closely with it. These elements highlight the importance of designing learning environments and tasks that promote and sustain student agency, identity, and ideology.

Connected Citations

Bhowmik, S. K. (2016). Agency, identity and ideology in L2 writing: Insights from the EAP classroom. Writing & Pedagogy, 8(2), 275-308.

Bhowmik, S. K. (2012). A sociocultural approach to the study of L2 writing: Activity system analyses of the writing processes of ESL learners (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Arizona State University, Arizona.