Problematizing and reexamining the notion of taking another introductory-level language class at
college: Adding students’ voices to the conversation at secondary and post-secondary levels
Hsuan-YingLiu
The University of California, Riverside
Abstract
Existing literature shows that discrepancies between the expectations of students and language instructors might
discourage high school students from progressing in their language learning at college. This study aims to address such
discrepancies by examining students who studied Chinese in high school but were still taking an introductory-level language course
at college, with the intention of declaring a minor or major in Chinese Studies at a Midwestern university in the United States.
Drawing on the concept of identity and investment, a qualitative research method was employed to address the time- and
context-sensitive nature of identity and investment. Data were collected from interviews and reflection journals to reveal their
investment in Chinese language learning and how they coalesced their identities as Chinese language learners in high school and
college. Findings show that they firmly fought against the stereotypical assumption that taking another introductory-level class
at college was for an easy A, as current world language education policy and implementation rendered them voiceless in the
top-down implementation process. This present study provides new insights into the connections between investment and articulation
in world language education, and invites stakeholders to reevaluate the predominant emphasis placed on language proficiency in
foreign language research and education.
Despite expressions of concern and initiatives that are intended to raise world language (WL) articulation in the United
States (American Councils. 2017), several reports and reviews describe the discontinuation
of WL learning after students fulfilled their two-year graduation requirements in high school (Jahner, 2012). This discontinuation is further exacerbated by challenges encountered during the transition from high
school to university, including: (1) the ideological separation of foreign language learning from STEM curricula, (2) the perception
of foreign language courses as mere general education requirements to be completed expediently, and (3) the frequent lack of
availability of online foreign language classes (Diao & Liu, 2021). In addition, WL
educators in higher education identified that students who had previous language backgrounds might enroll in an introductory-level
class “for an easy A” (Hacking & Rubio, 2016, p. 126). However, according to the Oral
Proficiency Levels in the Workplace chart (ACTFL, 2015 b), after two years of high school
language study, students are able to “communicate minimally with formulaic and rote utterances, lists, and phrases” at the
Novice-low/Novice-mid level. This mismatched expectation between students and WL instructors might discourage high school students
from progressing their language learning at college, Chinese in particular. The Modern Language Association report provides additional
evidence that “languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Russian require extended learning periods for most native speakers of
English” (Looney & Lusin, 2018, p. 11). Moreover, Looney and Lusin (2018) provide additional evidence for the declining enrollment of 13.1% in 2013–16 at the college level,
while the overall enrollment steadily increased by 295.0% in K-12 schools (ACTFL, 2015 a).
Undoubtedly, the disparity in enrollment between high school and college demands more research on committed learners. “Committed
learners” refers to students who learned a foreign language in high school and continue learning it at post-secondary institutions
(Diao & Liu, 2021) and planned to major or minor in it (Liu, 2016). To address these gaps, this current study aims to understand more about committed learners’
identity and investment in language learning when taking another introductory-level language course at college as these voices are
scarcely explored.
References
American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
(2007) The
rise of identity in SLA research, post Firth and Wagner (1997). Modern Language
Journal, 91, 863–876.
Busse, V., & Walter, C.
(2013) Foreign
language learning motivation in higher education: A longitudinal study of motivational changes and their
causes. The modern language
journal, 97(2), 435–456.
Byrnes, H.
(1990) Foreign
language program articulation from high school to the university [online]. Eric Digest, ERIC
Identifier: ED321586. ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics: Washington, DC. Retrieved
from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED321586.pdf
Creswell, J. W.
(2007) Qualitative
inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd
ed.). Thousand Oaks:
CA: Sage.
Darvin, R., & Norton, B.
(2023) Investment
and motivation in language learning: What’s the difference?. Language
Teaching, 56(1), 29–40.
Diao, W. & Liu, H. Y.
(2021) Starting
college, quitting foreign language: The case of learners of Chinese language during secondary-postsecondary
transition. Journal of Language, Identity &
Education, 20(2), 75–89.
Duff, P.
(2008) Case
study research in applied linguistics. New York,
NY: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Everson
(2016) In Urlaub, P., Watzinger-Tharp, J., & Bourns, S. K. (eds.). AAUSC
2016 volume-issues in language program direction: The interconnected language curriculum: Critical transitions and interfaces
in articulated K-16
contexts (pp. 159–173). Cengage
Learning.
Frei, C., Allen, H. W., Swanson, B., & Levine, G. S.
(2016) Implications
of advanced placement world languages and cultures tenets for university foreign language
programs. In Urlaub, P., Watzinger-Tharp, J., & Bourns, S. K. (eds.). AAUSC
2016 volume-issues in language program direction: The interconnected language curriculum: Critical transitions and interfaces
in articulated K-16
contexts (pp. 99–117). Cengage
Learning.
Hacking, J. & Rubio, F.
(2016) A
proficiency-based articulation project between postsecondary
institutions. In Urlaub, P., Watzinger-Tharp, J., & Bourns, S. K. (eds.). AAUSC
2016 volume-issues in language program direction: The interconnected language curriculum: Critical transitions and interfaces
in articulated K-16
contexts (pp. 118–139). Cengage
Learning.
Hajar, A.
(2017) Identity,
investment and language learning strategies of two Syrian students in Syria and
Britain. Language, Culture and
Curriculum, 30(3), 250–264.
Harklau, L.
(2000) From
the “good kids” to the “worst”: Representations of English language learners across educational
settings. TESOL
Quarterly, 34(1), 35–67.
Jahner, D.
(2012) Beyond
requirements: Why do students continue with language study. The Language
Educator, 7(4), 40–43.
Ke, C., Wen, X. & Kotenbeutel, C.
(2001) Report
on the 2000 CLTA articulation project. Journal of the Chinese Language Teachers
Association, 36(3), 25–60.
Lee, E. J. E.
(2014) Motivation,
investment, and identity in English language development: A longitudinal case
study. System, 42, 440–450.
Li, C., & Li, W.
(2020) Learner
Identity in Chinese as a Foreign/Second Language Education: A Critical Review. Frontiers of
Education in
China, 15(1), 73–98.
Li, Y., & Zhang, Z. S.
(2016) CFL
education at the college level. In J. Ruan, J. Zhang, & C. B. Leung (Eds.), Chinese
language education in the United
States (pp. 141–166). Switzerland: Springer
International Publishing.
Liu, H. Y.
(2016) Coming
of age learning Mandarin: Chinese L2 learners’ investment during their transition from high school to
university. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University
of Arizona.
Liu, H. Y.
(2021) Toward
a new normal in foreign language classrooms: Attitudes and perceptions of committed learners of Chinese towards
CALL. Chinese as a Second
Language, 56(2), 146–167.
(2012) Qualitative
research design: An interactive approach. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage Publications.
Norton, B.
(1995) Social
identity, investment, and language learning. TESOL
Quarterly, 29(1), 9–31.
Norton, B.
(2000) Identity
and language learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational change. Essex,
UK: Pearson.
Papa, E. L., & Berka, S.
(2016) The
roadmap to mainstreaming dual language immersion in Rhode
Island. In Urlaub, P., Watzinger-Tharp, J., & Bourns, S. K. (eds.). AAUSC
2016 volume-issues in language program direction: The interconnected language curriculum: Critical transitions and interfaces
in articulated K-16
contexts (pp. 140–158). Cengage
Learning.
Saldaña’s
(2016) The coding manual for
qualitative researchers (3rd ed.). London,
UK: Sage.
(2014) On
language and content: The stakes of curricular transformation in collegiate foreign language
education. In Swaffar, J. and Urlaub, P. (eds.). Transformation
postsecondary foreign language teaching in the United
States (pp. 1–18). Springer.
