Dancing Between Languages: Constructing a Confident Bilingual Identity During Acculturation
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Soto Ortiz Tirado, Maria Alejandra
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Lewis, Lyn
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Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
For an immigrant, language plays – in a conscious or unconscious way – a central role while integrating a bilingual identity during acculturation. The multicultural context of Auckland presents a multilingual stage where an immigrant learns how to construct and integrate a bilingual identity while “dancing” between languages. This study answers the question: What influences the construction of an immigrant’s confident bilingual identity during acculturation? The study explores, through a metaphorical and a real construction, the experiences of two immigrants and their bilingual acculturation challenges in New Zealand (NZ). Using the Lego Serious Play method, the study narrates - through a verbal and visual argument - four factors influencing the construction of an immigrant’s bilingual identity during acculturation: firstly, the development of bilingual competence; secondly, the challenges and opportunities of acculturative stress; thirdly, the impact of negative social attitudes on
immigrants’ self-confidence; and finally, the linguistic choice and the implications of its loyalty cost. Five, six, seven, eight (Cinco, seis, siete, ocho) and so the language dance begins…