Language investment and identity construction trajectory amongst ethnic minority preparatory undergraduates in China: a narrative inquiry

Abstract

China has adopted preferential policies, such as the Ethnic Preparatory Education Program, to promote the opportunities of ethnic minority students from underdeveloped regions to receive high-quality education, which has caused great tension in the identity construction of these students. This study adopted a qualitative narrative inquiry approach to investigate the investments and identity construction of three ethnic minority preparatory undergraduates (EMPUs) throughout their language learning process in the preparatory stage. The findings indicate that these participants have shown varying types and degrees of investment in language learning and constructed dynamic identity as a trajectory influenced by their language learning experiences in various contexts. Their language investment and identity construction have an impact on one another and are shaped by their aspiration to participate in an imagined community and realise an imagined identity.

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