An-Encounter-of-English-Learners’-Self--identity-a

AnEncounterofEnglishLearners’Self-identityandtheLearner-centeredCurriculum四川省雷波民族中学杜敏贤AbstractThispaperfocusonEnglishlearners’Self-identityandlearner-centerednessofthelearner-centeredcurriculum,consideringthecontent,influences,typesandconfidenceofEnglishlearners’Self-identityandlocatingtheminalearner-centeredcurriculumcontext.InEnglishteachingwiththelearner-centeredapproach,Englishlearners’Self-identityisaextraordinaryimportantelementtotheteachers.Englishteachersshouldpaymoreattentiononit.Keywords:self-identity;confidence;learner-centered;curriculum1.IntroductionIdentityisanimportantconceptofwesterncultureresearch.Itsbasicmeaningistheidentificationbetweenanindividualandspecificsocialculture.Identitycoversthefollowingmeanings:whoamI?WhereIcomefromandwhereIamgoing?Identityisassociatedwithaseriesoftheoreticalissues,suchassubject,language,psychology,ideology,power,class,sexandrace(Tao,2004).Peopleestablishself-identitytounderstandindividualcharacteristics,potential,character,interest,hobbyandsocialrequirementsandseekforbindingpointsbetweenanindividualandthesociety,soastoidentifytheirownstatus(Gao,Li&Li,2003).IntraditionalEnglishteaching,teachersplayanimportantrole.Theydesignandcontrolthewholeteachingprocessandplayadecisiveroleinplanning,objectselection,teachingmethods,specificteachingimplementationandevaluation.DavidNunan(1988)oncesaid:“intraditionalteaching,theresponsibilityoftheteacherinsuchsystemswasoftenlittlemorethantoimplementthecurriculumandtoactas‘classroommanager’”.Since1990s,alongwiththeincessantcombinationofpsychologandlinguistics,constructivismadvocatesthatlearningisnotteachersdeliveringknowledgetostudents,butstudentsestablishingtheirownknowledge.Learningisaprocessthatbasedontheirownknowledgeandexperiences,learnerstakeaninitiativeprocesstoconstructtheirownmeaningaboutnewknowledge(Fan,2003).Inthisway,theplaceandstatusoflearnersinteachingandlearningwerehighlighted,andtheconceptoflearner-centerednessisslowlyfilteringintopeople'sminds.Itrequiresteachingcenteringonstudents,andattachesfullimportancetothepositiveroleofstudentsinteaching,fullyraisetheactivityandconfidenceofstudents,makestudentscontrollearningobjectiveandcontents,andenablestudentstotakepartinthewholeteachingactivity.Inthisconcept,whatteachersdelivertostudentsisnotonlyknowledge,butalsostudyingskills,methodsandconfidenceusingthem(Feng,2007).2．Developmentoflearners’self-identity2.1definitionofself-identityGenerallyspeaking,accordingtocurrentidentityresearch,identitycanbedividedinto4kinds,namelyindividualidentity,collectiveidentity,self-identityandsocialidentity.Individualidentityistheidentitybetweenanindividualandspecificculture,whilecollectiveidentitymeansthatculturalsubjectconductsselectionbetweentwodifferentculturalgroupsorminor-culturalgroups.Duetotheimpactofdifferentcultures,theculturesubjectneedstoregardonecultureastheselfofcollectivecultureandanothercultureastheautrui.Socialidentitylaysemphasisonsocialattributesandistheobjectforsociology,culturalanthropologyandotherresearch(Tao,2004).Self-identitystressesself-experienceinbodyandmindcenteringononeselfandistheobjectattractingtheattentionofenlightenmentphilosophy,phenomenologyandexistentialism.Here,self-identityoflearnersmeanslearners’recognitionon“whoamI”,coveringindividualability,communicationmode,values,groupbelongingandotheraspects.Self-identityisapsychologicalconcept.2.2Diversityandliquidityofself-identityLanguageisacommunicationtoolandaculturalproduct,participatingindevelopmentofself-identity.Theissueof“whyIstudyforeignlanguage”isactually“whoamI?WhereIcomefromandwhereIamgoing?”(Gao,2003,p.76).Inthisway,languageistheproductofmutualcompetitionandconsultationofvarioussocialforces,rulesandresources.Identityisneithertheappendantofsocialstructure,northeproductofinnerintentionofanyindividual.Itisadiversifiedandfluidprocessestablishedinakindofcircumstanceundercertainsocial,culturalandhistoricalconditions(Gao,Li&Bian,2008,p.22).Meanwhile,theissueof“whoamI”involvesmanyconcepts.Theself-identityofEnglishlearnerswillchangeobviouslyalongwiththeprogressofEnglishlearning.Intheverybeginning,thereasonforastudenttostudyEnglishisonlythattheschooloffersthecourseandteachersareavailableforteaching.Atthistime,theself-identityofEnglishlearnersisknowledgeacceptor.Afterthat,teacherswillsaythatEnglishisagloballanguagewidelyappliedintheworld,andstudentsmaymasterthiscommunicationskillbecauseofitspracticability.Atthistime,hisself-identityispracticaltoolmaster.IfthisstudentpenetratesdeeperintoEnglishstudyingandcontactEnglishliteratureandliteraturecreationskills,hisself-identitymaychangeintoliteraturecritic,writerorothers.Allinall,theself-identityofEnglishlearnersisnotunchangeable.Itisadynamicprocessofchangeanddevelopmentassociatedwithvariousmicrocosmicfactors.Self-identityexistsinspecificcommunicationevent.Thedefinitionofanindividualandhisowninnerexpressioniscarriedbyexteriorcommunication.Itisneitheraproductdefinedbyexteriorenvironment,norpurepersonalimagination.Itisaprocessofmutualconsultationofindividualsandsocial