Korean Graduate Students' Construction of Identities in American Classroom Discussions

Hyunhee Cho (조현희)

Korean Graduate Students' Construction of Identities in American Classroom Discussions

The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea
Abbr : 사회언어학
2005, 13(1), pp.249-276
Publisher : The Sociolinguistic Society Of Korea
Research Area : Humanities > Linguistics

Hyunhee Cho ¹

¹연세대학교

Candidate

ABSTRACT

Based on in-depth interviews and observations, this ethnographic case study investigated how four Korean graduate students constructed their identity as they participated in class discussions and in other social spaces in a predominantly white mainstream American environment. Positioning theory is used to probe into the formation of the Korean students' perception of self in their social relation to their American counterparts (Harre & Langenhove 1999; Tan & Moghaddam 1995, 1999). The data reveals that the Korean students learned to utilize accessible resources of culture and knowledge as a means to participate in the classroom. In their social relation to Americans, they adopted an oppositional or separated identity, positioning themselves as different from the majority of Americans. This identity was shaped by their positioning in and outside the classrooms, background cultural knowledge, and English proficiency. The students socialized mainly with Korean colleagues and other Asian students. This study suggests a few implications for Korean students and American instructors in the United States.

KEYWORDS

positioning, socialization, participation, class discussion, identity construction

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

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