Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity
Studies on learner identity and studies on meaningful literacy seem to have gone on parallel tracks with little intersection between the two, leading to a lack of understanding regarding the impact of meaningful literacy on learners’ identities, particularly as writers in a foreign language environm...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Mextesol Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mextesol.net/journal/public/files/3a61403abf59f0b1349a8bec219f5bc0.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819101208993857536 |
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| author | Shizhou Yang |
| author_facet | Shizhou Yang |
| author_sort | Shizhou Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies on learner identity and studies on meaningful literacy seem to have gone on parallel tracks with little intersection between the two, leading to a lack of understanding regarding the impact of meaningful literacy on learners’ identities, particularly as writers in a foreign language environment. In this context, this article reports on a study in which the teacher examines how meaningful literacy in the form of life writing shapes his English as a foreign language (EFL) writers’ identity. The study used students’ writing samples and written reflections as the primary data and through the lens of a poststructuralist theory of learner and writer identity. The author found that extensive investment in life writing in a supportive social milieu, including both story writing outside class and free writing in class enabled EFL learners to achieve agentive writer identities, i.e., forming a new habit of writing, gaining confidence as a writer, and taking life writing as a craft. This positively and actively invested relationship with writing in a foreign language suggests that life writing should be made an option in English literacy education to promote L2 writers’ identity development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:15:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c14d6f0e5317401a8a9f4813cedca010 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2395-9908 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T01:15:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Asociación Mexicana de Maestros de Inglés |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mextesol Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-c14d6f0e5317401a8a9f4813cedca0102022-12-21T18:43:54ZengAsociación Mexicana de Maestros de InglésMextesol Journal2395-99082020-11-0144421871Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer IdentityShizhou Yang0Payap University, Chiangmai, Thailand Studies on learner identity and studies on meaningful literacy seem to have gone on parallel tracks with little intersection between the two, leading to a lack of understanding regarding the impact of meaningful literacy on learners’ identities, particularly as writers in a foreign language environment. In this context, this article reports on a study in which the teacher examines how meaningful literacy in the form of life writing shapes his English as a foreign language (EFL) writers’ identity. The study used students’ writing samples and written reflections as the primary data and through the lens of a poststructuralist theory of learner and writer identity. The author found that extensive investment in life writing in a supportive social milieu, including both story writing outside class and free writing in class enabled EFL learners to achieve agentive writer identities, i.e., forming a new habit of writing, gaining confidence as a writer, and taking life writing as a craft. This positively and actively invested relationship with writing in a foreign language suggests that life writing should be made an option in English literacy education to promote L2 writers’ identity development.http://www.mextesol.net/journal/public/files/3a61403abf59f0b1349a8bec219f5bc0.pdfmeaningful literacy; agency; writer identity |
| spellingShingle | Shizhou Yang Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity Mextesol Journal meaningful literacy; agency; writer identity |
| title | Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity |
| title_full | Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity |
| title_fullStr | Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity |
| title_short | Meaningful Literacy and Agentive Writer Identity |
| title_sort | meaningful literacy and agentive writer identity |
| topic | meaningful literacy; agency; writer identity |
| url | http://www.mextesol.net/journal/public/files/3a61403abf59f0b1349a8bec219f5bc0.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shizhouyang meaningfulliteracyandagentivewriteridentity |