Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia
Through 18 interviews with German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia, we investigate the impact of a foreign language on the individual’s identity. In this context, the study relies on the Social Identity Theory and Social Categorisation Theory which focus on language and identity. The rese...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universiti Putra Malaysia Press
2014
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34352/1/Language%20and%20Identity%20The%20Impact%20of%20a%20Multilingual.pdf |
| _version_ | 1796972487590805504 |
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| author | Majtanova, Miroslava Abdul Jabar, Mohd. Azidan |
| author_facet | Majtanova, Miroslava Abdul Jabar, Mohd. Azidan |
| author_sort | Majtanova, Miroslava |
| collection | UPM |
| description | Through 18 interviews with German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia, we investigate the impact of a foreign language on the individual’s identity. In this context, the study relies on the Social Identity Theory and Social Categorisation Theory which focus on language and identity. The researchers were of the view that the use of a foreign language serves as a substitute for the mother tongue in the construal of identity only to a certain extent. This phenomenon becomes most apparent in situations where the competency of the language is crucial for the respondent involved in communication. Depending on the importance of the situation the respondents experience a different level of achievement/ failure in expressing their identity. At the same time, the respondents evaluate identity of their communication partner by rating their language skills. Our findings further indicate that language makes a linkage between personal and social identities which is reflected in the feelings and behaviour of respondents in situation, when they cannot understand the language others use around them. Additionally the individual’s identity perception does not seem to be influenced by the length of stay in Malaysia, nor by a long/short term relationship with a non-German speaking partner. The mother tongue however becomes replaceable, provided the respondent gained the knowledge in a certain area in a foreign language. In this case, the individual will have difficulty to communicate about that particular area in his mother tongue except with practice. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T08:28:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm.eprints-34352 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T08:28:45Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Universiti Putra Malaysia Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | upm.eprints-343522015-12-10T07:31:19Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34352/ Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia Majtanova, Miroslava Abdul Jabar, Mohd. Azidan Through 18 interviews with German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia, we investigate the impact of a foreign language on the individual’s identity. In this context, the study relies on the Social Identity Theory and Social Categorisation Theory which focus on language and identity. The researchers were of the view that the use of a foreign language serves as a substitute for the mother tongue in the construal of identity only to a certain extent. This phenomenon becomes most apparent in situations where the competency of the language is crucial for the respondent involved in communication. Depending on the importance of the situation the respondents experience a different level of achievement/ failure in expressing their identity. At the same time, the respondents evaluate identity of their communication partner by rating their language skills. Our findings further indicate that language makes a linkage between personal and social identities which is reflected in the feelings and behaviour of respondents in situation, when they cannot understand the language others use around them. Additionally the individual’s identity perception does not seem to be influenced by the length of stay in Malaysia, nor by a long/short term relationship with a non-German speaking partner. The mother tongue however becomes replaceable, provided the respondent gained the knowledge in a certain area in a foreign language. In this case, the individual will have difficulty to communicate about that particular area in his mother tongue except with practice. Universiti Putra Malaysia Press 2014-03 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34352/1/Language%20and%20Identity%20The%20Impact%20of%20a%20Multilingual.pdf Majtanova, Miroslava and Abdul Jabar, Mohd. Azidan (2014) Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 22 (1). pp. 233-256. ISSN 0128-7702; ESSN: 2231-8534 http://www.pertanika.upm.edu.my/Pertanika%20PAPERS/JSSH%20Vol.%2022%20(1)%20Mar.%202014/15%20Page%20233-256%20(JSSH%200609-2012).pdf |
| spellingShingle | Majtanova, Miroslava Abdul Jabar, Mohd. Azidan Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title | Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title_full | Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title_fullStr | Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title_short | Language and identity: the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among German mother tongue speakers living in Malaysia |
| title_sort | language and identity the impact of a multilingual environment on the personal identity among german mother tongue speakers living in malaysia |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/34352/1/Language%20and%20Identity%20The%20Impact%20of%20a%20Multilingual.pdf |
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