The Role of Learner Subjectivity in Second Language Sociolinguistic Competency: Western Women Learning Japanese

Abstract

In this paper, I examine the role of language learner subjectivity in the acquisition of sociohnguistic competency in a second language To look at the intersection of learner identity, social position, and L2 acquisition, the paper focuses on a case study of a white woman learning Japanese in Japan A conversation between the learner and her professor is presented to show the dynamic co-construction of identity and sociolinguistic proficiency within conversational interactions The discussion of the interaction and implications for L2 acquisition are contextualized within a social, cultural, and historical framework