FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNER IDENTITY IN THE TURKISH VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CONTEXT

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the private self, ideal self, public selves, and imposed selves of vocational high school students in Turkey. Besides, the relationships between the private self, ideal self, public selves, and imposed selves in high school students were examined. The design of the research is a correlational screening model. The population of the research was 241 vocational high school students. Data was collected with Information Form and The L2 Quadripolar Identity Questionnaire. MANOVA test was used to compare sociodemographic variables and L2 learner identity. The results of the study revealed that the L2 learner identity levels of the students were moderate. In addition, it has been revealed that age, gender, grade, the context of onset, and language use frequency are effective on L2 learner identity. The increase in age was associated with the increase in Public Self by Classmates, Imposed Future Self by English Teacher, and Imposed Future Self by Classmates. Female students' levels of Private Self, Public Self by English Teacher, Public Self by Classmates, and Imposed Present Self by English Teacher were found to be higher than male students whereas, female students' Learning Orientation and Perceptions of the English Class level were higher than male students. The study findings revealed that the Public Self by Classmates and Imposed Present Self by English Teacher levels of fourth-year students were higher than third, second, and first-year students while the Imposed Future Self by English Teacher level of the fourth-year students was higher than the first and second-year students. Related to the Imposed Future Self by Classmates component, the first-year students‟ levels were lower than the second, third, and fourth-year students. As for the level of Public Self by Classmates component, the study found that the students‟ levels who started learning English in vii middle school/high school were higher than students who started learning at primary school. It was also found that the Private Self, Ideal Self, Public Self by English Teacher, and Imposed Future Self by English Teacher scores of the students who stated the frequency of speaking English as “all the time/often/sometimes” were higher than those who stated “rarely” and “never”. The level of Learning Orientation and Perceptions of the English Class of students who stated their English speaking frequency as “all the time/often/sometimes” was higher than those who stated their English speaking frequency as “rarely”. Besides, there were weak and moderate positive correlations between all foreign language learner identities of vocational high school students. These findings show that students need interactive learning environments which can increase students' motivation.