Classroom Language Socialization: Language acquisition, educator beliefs, and intercultural communicative competence

Classroom Language Socialization: Language acquisition, educator beliefs and intercultural communicative competence Language and culture are intricately intertwined. In the past, language structure was thought to be the “purist” form of culture, but then the work of Dell Hymes (1972) on communicative competence and the relationship between language and culture brought a shift to the way language systems were understood. Rather than being studied separately from their communicative act, Hymes argued for the need to understand language through context. With the help of Canale and Swain (1980) these ideas about language brought a shift in educational literature and consequently the design of curriculum. As this pedagogical discussion evolved, new policies were developed with regards to how language learning and instruction were to take place (Saville-Troike 1989; Celce-Murcia 2007; Aguilar 2007). One of most recent concepts to come from these previous studies is that of “intercultural communicative competence” or the ability to speak another language with cultural awareness, or to successfully navigate communication using one’s knowledge of the language as well as one’s knowledge of the target culture. (Bartram 2010; Bailey 1996). However, language learning in the US has a conflicting history. Considering studies by Macedo (2019) and Kramsch (2019), it’s initial support came from the notion that language learning was necessary for defense purposes. Learning language can be a gateway to understanding others as ourselves. According to the most recent census, 94% of Montanans speak English at home. This leads to the popular assumption that students do not need to learn language. Yet we know that learning a second language can improve memory, deductive reasoning skills, and perhaps most importantly empathy. Additionally, there is little documentation on what happens in the classroom, let alone the language classroom. To highlight the context wherein theories of language socialization, teacher identity, and school socialization are avenues to understanding second language instruction and the social norms that govern pedagogical decision-making, this presentation will provide the preliminary findings from language educator interviews using narrative analysis. As educators tell their stories, an understanding about how language is taught and why it’s being taught offers insight into why a place like Montana needs such programs