“QUANDO PARLO ITALIANO SENTO DI ESSERE ABBRACCIATO SPESSO” – “WHEN I SPEAK ITALIAN, I FEEL LIKE I’M BEING HUGGED”. A JOURNEY ACROSS LOTE MOTIVATION AND PERSISTENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2037-3597/29074Abstract
This paper explores the language learning history and motivational dynamics of Gholam Najafi Fusaro, who came to Italy as an unaccompanied minor in 2006 and has spent eighteen years in Venice, where he attended school and university. Research on motivation and persistence has been mainly conducted in EFL/ESL contexts. Far fewer studies investigate these topics in LOTE contexts and in respect to first generation multilingual teenagers with a migration journey. For this reason, this study uses Participative Narrative Inquiry to capture the complexities of the lived experience of Gholam. Data were generated through in depth biographical semi-structured interviews, one written reflection and several informal conversations between the authors. The corpus was then analyzed for content using thematic analysis and jointly interpreted by both authors. Findings highlight the need to understand the interplay of the personal and socio-contextual factors, as well as the changes that occur over time in weaving an identity which Gholam himself feels is marked by language achievement and academic success. Relevant implications for teaching are drawn to understand the role of teacher-student rapport and of the language learning experience to foster a more elaborate vision and persistence and to contribute to the transformation of motivation across time.
“Quando parlo italiano sento di essere abbracciato spesso”. Un viaggio attraverso LOTE motivazione e persistenza
Questo articolo esplora la storia dell’apprendimento linguistico e le dinamiche motivazionali di Gholam Najafi Fusaro, che è arrivato in Italia come minore straniero non accompagnato nel 2006 e ha trascorso diciotto anni a Venezia, dove ha frequentato la scuola e poi l’università. La ricerca sulla motivazione all’apprendimento di lingue addizionali è condotta principalmente nell’ambito dell’inglese come seconda lingua o lingua straniera. Gli studi che indagano motivazione e perseveranza in contesti di lingue diverse dall’inglese (LOTE) e in relazione ad adolescenti multilingue di prima generazione con un viaggio migratorio sono molto rari. Per tale motivo, questo studio utilizza il metodo della Participative Narrative Inquiry per catturare la complessità dell’esperienza di apprendimento vissuta da Gholam. I dati sono stati generati tramite interviste biografiche semi-strutturate, una riflessione scritta e diverse conversazioni informali tra gli autori. Il corpus è stato quindi analizzato seguendo i criteri dell’analisi tematica ed è stato oggetto di interpretazione congiunta da parte dei due autori. I risultati evidenziano la necessità di comprendere l’interazione dei fattori personali e socio-contestuali, nonché i cambiamenti della motivazione che si sono verificati nel tempo e che hanno concorso a formare un’identità che Gholam stesso ritiene segnata da successo linguistico ed accademico. Le conclusioni mettono in rilievo alcune implicazioni per l’insegnamento, come il ruolo della relazione insegnante-studente e dell’esperienza di apprendimento della lingua al fine di promuovere una visione più elaborata, la perseveranza e lo sviluppo della motivazione.
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