Identity, Investment, and Language Learning: The Case of Arab Immigrant Women in The United States

Abstract

Building on Norton’s (2000) poststructuralist view of identity as a multiple, changing, site of struggle, this qualitative study aims to provide in-depth analysis about the dynamic relationship between identity, investment, and English language learning for Arab immigrant women in the United States. Furthermore, the present study adopts a critical discourse analysis as a methodological framework to address the following research questions: (1) How are Arab women’s identities shaped by their education and English learning in the United States?; (2) How were these women’s investment in learning English intersected by their socioeconomic status?; and (3) What were the elements that led the Arab female participants’ identity change? In order to address the research questions, narrative inquiry was employed using qualitative data, such as semi-structured in-depth individual interviews and a background questionnaire. The participants of the present study were three adult female English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, all from Arab origins. The findings suggested that the female participants were highly influenced by their sociocultural identities in a way that affected their personal and educational pathways. Furthermore, the results showed that their socioeconomic status impeded their investment in learning English. Finally, the study findings revealed a strong identity change due to the separation from the cultural standards and expectations for women in their home countries. This study points to the need to incorporate the learners’ culture in the target language instruction to facilitate the identity transformation and help their language learning improvement and success.