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Book Review Reviewed By: |
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Natasha Lvovich's engaging autobiography, The Multilingual Self, provides great inspiration and myriad pedagogical suggestions for foreign language learners, immigrants to the United States, language teachers dealing with students from a variety of backgrounds, and researchers in the field of language education, second/foreign language acquisition, and psycholinguistics. Lvovich's successful story of acquiring native fluency in French in the restricted environment of the former Soviet Union inspires language learners with the knowledge that second/foreign language acquisition can occur in any environment if the learner has positive attitudes toward the target language and culture. On the other hand, Lvovich's struggle to integrate herself into American culture when she moved to the United States as an immigrant reminds language learners and teachers of the many variables that should be taken into account in the learnerâs transitional period from home culture to new environment. There are numerous books recently published on second language learning in various contexts (see e.g., Paulston, 1994; Freed, 1995; Carger, 1996; Auerbach, et al., 1996). This book stands out among them, however, because it demonstrates how a person's interactions with different environments shapes the language learning processes. Lvovich's own experience with multiple language development suggests how learning environments and the learnerâs motivation powerfully interact in language learning. In addition, as Lvovich states in the preface, this book can serve as a model for writing an autobiography. Through the process of writing their autobiographies, language learners investigate, reflect upon their own language learning and became familiar with themselves. Although a number of autobiographical case studies of language acquisition and acculturation have been published (e.g., Rodríguez, 1982; Zongren, 1984; Mura, 1996), this book is particularly recommended as a model for autobiography writing because of its rich examples of Lvovich's writing styles that illustrate language learning experiences, and because of its detailed description of language acquisition processes. Lvovich introduces numerous episodes about her multilingual development and her daughter's language development. This book holds many important implications for language teachers and learners, such as considerations of motivational factors for language learners in different age groups in different environments, the effect of acculturation on language learning, individual differences in language learning, and the importance of positive attitudes toward the target language, culture, and people. First, Lvovich's case study of her French acquisition demonstrates well the complex processes of self-development in adolescents and suggests the age at which a learner is exposed to a new culture and language is a key factor in language acquisition. Lvovich acquired French with adolescent fanaticism. Gormly (1997) stated that adolescents start to think about and construct ideal individuals and societies as they become formal operational thinkers. According to Piagetâs (1970) cognitive development theory, it is in adolescence that most individuals develop the ability for abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning. Adolescents are able to think abstractly about themselves and their futures in this stage. They are, however, still seeking a personal identity. Gormly (1997) noted that a number of adolescents who had had tragic experiences, such as those of war, accidents, the death of parent(s), in their early lives tended to shelter themselves from reality. Lvovich developed her "French self" in this stage of her cognitive development. She acknowledges that her positive attitudes toward French culture and language might have been different if she had been exposed to the real life of France. The fancy French life in French literature, references to French wine, different kinds of cheeses, Quiche Lorraine, and chansons, attracted and stimulated her senses. Lvovich found her ideal self and dreams in the aspect of French culture which could only be found in French literature. She questioned whether her "French self" was fantasy whereas she was developing her "American self" in order to take responsibility for her "real life," and her "real career" in the United States. This example can be used in discussions of motivational factors on language learning in different age groups. Second, Lvovich's struggle to integrate herself into American culture when she moved to the United States as an immigrant tells us how language learnersâ attitudes toward the target language and culture influence their second / foreign language acquisition. Schumann (1978) stated that language learners' success in second / foreign language acquisition is attributable to the social and psychological distance between the learner and the target language. Social distance refers to the relationship between the social group the learner belongs to and the social group speaking the target language, the integration patterns of the learner's own culture and the target culture, and the congruence between the target culture and the learnerâs culture. Psychological distance refers to internal factors, such as language shock, culture shock, motivation, and self-esteem (Schumann, 1978, p.164). Lvovich struggled with the social and psychological differences between herself and American culture and English. She wrote: Something is missing in my way of functioning in English. Something substantial, important, which does not let me enjoy my linguistic performance. Itâs like I am floating on the surface of the ocean, giving curious glances into its depth. Itâs like I am fishing for a deeper essence, and sometimes I get some fish, but they are separate fishes, not the overall picture, with everything lying there, on the bottom. (p. 61) Lvovich struggled for several months to overcome this feeling. And her English acquisition dramatically accelerated after she changed her attitudes toward American culture, people, and the English language. Lvovich's segregation from American culture and struggle to acquire English coincides with Schumannâs acculturation model. Third, this book contains rich examples of the secret of success for language learning and acculturation. Lvovich scatters language learning strategies throughout the book. For example, Lvovich introduces her learning strategy for memorizing new words; she associates them with her own colored image. For her, "six" in Russian is yellow, while "six" in English is whitish, a fuzzy, dull glass. She could give this type of association to every word, sound, and expression in any language. Lvovich adds that her visual association enhances her memory if the visual means supply sensory stimuli, such as colors, particular shapes, or smells, that can be transformed into a mnemonic technique (p. 14). Readers might begin their own language-sensory associations after reading about her unique colored images of words. It is important that the statements in a book make readers reflect their own experiences. This book provides many opportunities for readers to reflect on their own language learning experiences. Finally, she emphasizes the importance of genuine human relationships in language learning. Her French friends: Domka, Marc, Julia, and Christica; her first French teacher, Mr. Magester; her Italian friends: Marie, Alberto, Palo, and Mario; her first American friend, Fred; and her colleagues, students, and family members were all resources which helped her shape her "multilingual self." Lvovich mentions that she learned languages in order to communicate with people she loved. She read an enormous number of books in order to understand her friends' cultures and to fulfill her intellectual interests. Although all human beings learn at least one language, and most of us learn more than one language to some extent, a number of language learners cannot find the value of learning a language other than their mother tongue. Lvovich calmly and reassuringly tells us why we need to learn languages to understand and be understood and to love and be loved (p. 26). This book guides second language learners to what they need in order to acquire a second language successfully. Lvovich's rich examples of language learning in different contexts contain many important suggestions for language learners. The weakness of this book, however, is that Lvovich fails to connect her success in multilingual development with language learning theories. Her multilingual acquisition at different ages in different contexts can make great discussions with current theories, such as a theory of the relationships between age and language attitudes, which hypothesizes that learnersâ language attitudes are affected by age ( Grosjean, 1982; Baker, 1992) and a theory of the influence of motivation on a second language learning, which suggests different types of motivation in different situations (Gardner & Lambert, 1972). Although Lvovich mentions that she accomplished her dissertation based on her autobiography, complemented with theoretical components, her linguistic theoretical frameworks are not detectable in this book. Thus, this book gives readers room to speculate about her success based on their own theoretical frameworks. are not detectable in this book. Thus, this book gives readers room to speculate about her success based on their own theoretical frameworks. In a sense, this book can be used by linguists and language teachers to discuss which current theories explain her multilingual development. However, Lvovich does not give her perceptions of her success in multilingual development. Not only does it open up speculation about multilingualism, but Lvovich's successful story also encourages language learners in another way. Lvovich recommends that: Students can learn from my stories because my tales can turn out to be their stories, too. Not only can they learn from my stories, which encourage discoveries about their own behaviors or problems, but they might want to respond, to tell us about their struggles with a foreign language. By becoming writers and interpreters of my text, by making it their own, students can construct their own virtual texts. (p. xvi) Thus, this book can be used as a model for writing an autobiography. Brisk (1998) recommended critical autobiographical writing in bilingual education programs. Through the investigation of events and experiences in their own lives, language learners can understand that what happens to them as bilingual individuals struggling for social and cultural adjustment is mostly due to factors outside themselves (Brisk, 1998, p.170). That is, language learners will likely be able to see their problems more objectively while they are sorting through and writing about events that have happened to them. Graham (1991) reviewed several theorists who engaged in autobiographical writing and concluded that autobiography should be used in education more frequently. He advocated that thinking and writing about the self makes a child clarify the relationships between the self and the world. Some children may dislike writing about themselves. Educators can, however, motivate students to explore their own experiences by taking on the role of the writer. Graham (1991) recommended that teachers should provide examples written by writers who have had similar experiences to those of the learners, and writing which illustrates the range of effects possible in first- and third-person narration, so that students can learn how private experience stands a greater chance of being transformed into art. Reading autobiographical essays and writing their own will thus facilitate studentsâ artistic interests in writing. Lvovich herself recommends that this book be used in advanced English as a second language (ESL) classrooms as reading. She states: Written in a foreign language by a foreign speaker who is relatively new to the country, this book conveys this optimistic message÷"You can make it!"÷that every language learner needs. By reading, discussing, and writing on a topic they are personally familiar with, generating factual and linguistic knowledge through their personal connections, students will become better readers and better writers. (p. xvi) It is important for second foreign language learners to develop belief in themselves in order to eliminate writerâs block in the second / foreign language. As Lvovich herself mentions, this book provides great encouragement for language learners to write about their own experiences. This book is free from linguistic and educational jargon, so that advanced ESL students can easily access its content. Teachers who have ESL students can read this book as a pre-writing inspirational activity. The weakness of Lvovich's story as a model of autobiography is that she does not give much background information about diplomatic relations between the former Soviet Union and Western countries. Therefore, the readers are required to have moderate knowledge about the current international situation and the immigrant laws in both the former Soviet Union and in the United States in order to understand various events which happened in her life. Teachers who use this book in class will need to prepare references to supplement their studentsâ background knowledge of world affairs, especially articles related to the modern history of immigrants in the United States. This book, however, does not provide any references which are relevant for her autobiography. In conclusion, Lvovich's The Multilingual Self is a great example of the language learning process. As such, it offers important implications for language teachers and learners. As Lvovich mentions, this book can be used for multiple purposes. Written with passion and love, the book has a certain color and flavor, which reminds the reader of Lvovich's admiration for these attributes in French literature. Readersâ mental images stimulated by this book may differ, however, according to their cultural or linguistic backgrounds and their experiences. These mental images in turn may help readers to reflect on their own language learning processes when they connect with Lvovichâs feelings. References Auerbach, E., Barahona, B., Midy, J., Zambrano, A., & Arnaud, J. (1996). Adult ESL/literacy: From the community to the community. Marwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [Return] Baker, C. (1992). Attitudes and language. Bristol, PA: Multilingual Matters. [Return] Brisk, M. E. (1998). Bilingual education. Marwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. [Return] Carger, C. L. (1996). Of borders and dreams: A modern American experience of urban education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. [Return] Freed, B. F. (Ed.). (1995). Second language acquisition in a study abroad context. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing. [Return] Gardner, R. C. & Lambert, W.E. (1972). Attitudes and motivation in second language learning. Rowley, MA: Newbury House. [Return] Gormly, A. V. (1997). Lifespan human development. (6th ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace. [Return] Graham, R. J. (1991). Reading and writing the self: Autobiography in education and the curriculum. New York: Teachers College Press. [Return] Grosjean, F. (1982). Life with two languages. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. [Return] Mura, D. (1996). Where the body meets memory. New York, NY: Anchor Books. Paulston, C. B. (1994). Linguistic minorities in multilingual settings. (Vol. 4). Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins. [Return] Piaget, J. (1970). Piaget's theory. In P. H. Mussen (Ed.), Carmichael's manual of child psychology (pp. missing). New York: John Wiley & Sons. [Return] Rodríguez, R. (1982). Hunger of memory. Boston, MA: David R. Godine. [Return] Schumann, J. H. (1978). Social and psychological factors in second language acquisition. In J. C. Richards (Ed.), Understanding second & foreign language learning (pp. missing). Rowley, MA: Newbury House. [Return] |
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