A1 Journal article (refereed)
Dialogical view on learner agency of immigrant pupils : a case study of the learners of Finnish as L2 (2022)

Sun, D., & Ruohotie-Lyhty, M. E. (2022). Dialogical view on learner agency of immigrant pupils : a case study of the learners of Finnish as L2. Language Learning Journal, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2036793

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Sun, Dukkeum; Ruohotie-Lyhty, Maria Elina

Journal or series: Language Learning Journal

ISSN: 0957-1736

eISSN: 1753-2167

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 18/03/2022

Volume: Early online

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2022.2036793

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80391

Abstract

This study explores the dialogical nature of agency when two immigrant pupils, who are learning Finnish as their new target language, are authoring their selves. Bakhtin’s dialogism was the inspiration for this examination of the discourses that surround the L2 pupils’ agency and how they respond to discourses through their agency. Ethnographically oriented data collection included classroom observations, the pupils’ portfolios, and interviews with the pupils (as main participants) and meaningful adults. These data yielded a set of narratives from multiple voices. The results show that the pupils negotiate more subjective meanings of their selves, and re-color them with their internal goals and values, through the act of answerability, while the other sides of their selves react to others’ voices. It is concluded that we, L2 education providers, need to recognise the high level of engagement of young language learners’ agency and remember how our own voices might affect their navigation process of authoring their selves.

Keywords: immigrants; language learning; Finnish language; second language; dialogicality; discourse; interaction; linguistic interaction; meanings (semantics); human agency; teacher-pupil relationship

Free keywords: agency; self; L2 pupils; dialogism; answerability

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1