Innovation in Language Learning
Learning Mandarin through Funds of Identity: Identity Development of a Malaysian Student in Taiwan
CHIA-CHIA HSU, The PhD Program in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Chengchi University (Taiwan, Republic of China)
Abstract
Research on Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) has increasingly emphasized learner identity and identity development. However, relatively little attention has been paid to how learners' Funds of Identity (FoI) can be mobilized as resources for Mandarin learning and identity development. This qualitative case study investigates a Mandarin writing course informed by the Funds of Identity approach, focusing on the experiences of a Malaysian student studying in Taiwan. Data were collected through classroom observations, learner-produced identity texts, and semi-structured interviews. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, drawing on the Funds of Identity framework (Esteban-Guitart & Moll, 2014) and Norton's (2013) theory of identity to interpret the participant's identity development. The findings indicate that, through writing identity texts in Mandarin, the learner reinterpreted personal experiences and cultural background by mobilizing Funds of Identity as meaningful resources for language learning. This process enabled the learner to express and negotiate multiple identities through language practices while strengthening a sense of belonging to Mandarin-speaking communities and cultures. At the same time, the learner's narratives revealed the fluid and dynamic nature of identity, as moments of uncertainty, ambiguity, and contradiction emerged while negotiating between self-understanding and external expectations across different cultural contexts. These findings demonstrate that Mandarin learning extends beyond the acquisition of linguistic competence to become a process of identity development and social participation. By illustrating how writing identity texts in Mandarin enables learners to mobilize their Funds of Identity and negotiate multiple identities, this study highlights the pedagogical value of the Funds of Identity approach for Chinese as a Second Language (CSL) education.
Keywords: Funds of Identity, identity texts, identity development, Chinese as a Second Language
REFERENCES
[1] Cummins, J., & Early, Margaret. (2011). Identity texts: The collaborative creation of power in multilingual schools. Trentham Books.
[2] Esteban-Guitart, M., & Moll, L. C. (2014). Funds of identity: A new concept based on the funds of knowledge approach. Culture and Psychology, 20(1), 31–48.
[3] Norton, B. (2013). Identity and Language Learning: Extending the Conversation (2nd ed.). Multilingual Matters.
