Multilingual Matters Face and Enactment of Identities in the L2 Classroom (New Perspectives on Language and Education): 46

This book examines student identities as revealed through the pragmatics of face as observed in the context of English L2 classroom interaction between Japanese students and a native speaker teacher. Classroom recordings together with retrospective interviews reveal specific points during learning activities when the students' and their teacher's interpretations of classroom communication deviate from what was intended. This research study is a potent reminder that what students and teachers may consider as standard and conventionally acceptable language use and behaviour within the classroom context can differ dramatically according to social, cultural and individual frames of reference. The book outlines an innovative teacher professional development program which encourages teachers to reflect on and, where desired, modify or discontinue existing pedagogic practices. Review Kidd sensitively and insightfully highlights peak areas of mis-communication in classrooms stemming from emerging identities. He then constructively and proactively proposes detailed professional development to help teachers become more aware of cross-cultural pragmatics. Kidd's book will help teachers critically evaluate existing practices, provoking both reflection in action and on action. --Tim Murphey, Kanda University of International Studies, Japan This timely book offers a theoretically engaging, deeply insightful and richly illustrated argument for the need in second language teaching and learning, teacher education and research, to (re)consider the construction of student identities as revealed through the pragmatics of face. It highlights the ways in which the students and their teacher interpret in diverse ways what it is that is going on and who it is that learners can be in classroom interaction, with consequences for the negotiation of face and the construction of identities. --Angela Scarino, University of South Australia, Australia About the Author Joshua Alexander Kidd has been involved extensively in teaching, curriculum development and education research in Japan for over 20 years. He holds a PhD in Linguistics from Macquarie University, Australia. His research interests include social pragmatics, discourse analysis, face, identity and politeness theory. As a teacher he focuses on promoting language acquisition while fostering cultural awareness, interest, respect and tolerance. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Face and Enactment of Identities in the L2 Classroom By Joshua Alexander Kidd Multilingual Matters Copyright © 2016 Joshua Alexander Kidd All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-78309-499-8 Contents Acronyms and Abbreviations, Acknowledgements, Preface, Research Origins, Part 1: Setting the Scene: Exploring the Theoretical Landscape and Context, 1 The Research, 2 English Education in Japan, 3 Pragmatics, 4 Face/Identity and Politeness Theory, Part 2: Overview of Research Methodology, 5 Methodology and Data Collection, Part 3: Student Insights into Classroom Interaction, 6 Results, 7 Face and Student Collaboration, 8 Alignment to Japanese Identities, 9 Teacher Use of L1 Japanese, 10 The Right to Silence: Silence as an Act of Identity, Part 4: Reflection and Modification: Teacher Professional Development Model, 11 Professional Development Conclusions and Implications, References, Index, CHAPTER 1 The Research Overview Communicative success is not guaranteed by a student's ability to memorise and employ the structural features of a target language. Teaching the grammar, vocabulary and syntax of a language does not prepare the L2 learner for real-world interaction which requires the ability to engage differing interlocutors in diverse and dynamic situations to achieve specific objectives. From the earliest stages of language learning programmes, students, irrespective of age and proficiency level, require pedagogically appropriate and concre