Negotiating identities in a collectivist context: Language Investment among Malaysian Undergraduates

Abstract

There has been a growing interest in investigating the role identity plays in the second language (L2) learning in recent years. Under certain circumstances, identity might be the critical factor that supersedes both learners' motivation and proficiency in determining whether a learner is willing to communicate in the target L2. Some motivated undergraduates who do well in written examinations refuse to participate in communication activities. Meanwhile, those students who are not as proficient are very enthusiastic about improving and showcasing their verbal ability. What factors could be involved to hinder or encourage Malaysian tertiary students in participating in communication activities? How do these students' cultural and individual conditions vary to the extent that they seem so different from each other, despite exposure to the same English language curriculum during their school years? By drawing on three essential concepts in the second language acquisition (SLA) domain (learner identity, investment, and ethnic identity), this paper attempts to answer the following research question: How invested is Malaysian undergraduates in L2 communication? The research was conducted at a university on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Data were gathered through semi-structured interview sessions with 14 non-English major undergraduates. Participants consist of six Chinese, four Indian, and four Malay students. Findings revealed the participants displayed three loose catagories of investment and highly context dependent. This study contributes specifically to research about Malaysian English education by improving our understanding of how the beliefs and identity of Malaysian undergraduates relate to their investment to communicate in English.