Books by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
Beliefs about language teaching and learning have been conceptualized as powerful influences in t... more Beliefs about language teaching and learning have been conceptualized as powerful influences in the way teachers conduct every aspect of their work as well as, in the ways students approach their learning. In addition, new developments in this field have emerged with a more sociocultural and complex approach to beliefs in which the intrincate relationship between teacher and learner’s identity, emotions and cognition are present.
The book offers:
• Findings related to the Mexican and Brazilian contexts, as well as English as a Lingua Franca.
• Perspectives from different points of view which include language ideologies and representations.
• Implications for language teaching and learning that provides the link from the differet context and perspectives.
• A review of studies in this area and their methodology which concludes whit suggestions for further research.
The book aims to be a useful resource for language teachers, teacher educators, researchers and students who are interested in new contributions to beliefs.
The 3rd Independent Learning Association Japan 2007 Conference: Exploring theory, enhancing pract... more The 3rd Independent Learning Association Japan 2007 Conference: Exploring theory, enhancing practice: Autonomy across the disciplines, was held from Friday 5th October to Monday 8th October at Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan. These proceedings comprise 42 of the 170 scheduled parallel sessions, and one paper written in response to one of the sessions
Book Chapter by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning, 2014
Even though social origin has been important for the sociology of education, mainly after World W... more Even though social origin has been important for the sociology of education, mainly after World War II (Chitty 2002), there has been a lack of research on social class in second language learning, despite this factor’s importance in determining learners’ identity (Block, 2012). Learner autonomy, which appeared in the field of foreign languages (FL) in the late 1970s (Holec, 1979), has not approached this construct either. Social class is important as it relates to how learners’ socioeconomic origin may have an influence on their performance at school, but also how schools may face the paradox of reproducing the differences found in society, giving more resources to those who belong to an upper class and less to those who belong to a lower one (Kanno, 2003). Moreover, the difference in learners lies not only in their performance, but also in the way they position themselves at school and in their life. The theory of possible selves states that the way learners imagine themselves in the future regarding an FL has an impact on the way they will learn it. This chapter will show that learners’ visions of possible L2 selves (Dörnyei, 2009) may be related to their socioeconomic situation.
The relationship between social class and autonomy emerged as a theme in a longitudinal research project which aimed to analyse the identity of learners working at self-access centres (SACs) by relating their characteristics and their learning decisions to their wider world. Social class was not one of the elements that the research project intended to focus on per se. However, once the data analysis process started, social class arose as a relevant aspect of the learners’ experience.
To approach the notions of class and autonomy, the chapter will start by outlining theoretical perspectives concerning autonomy, SACs, social class and the possible L2 Self. Following this, a description of the study will be presented. The data that will be shown comes from interviews and journals kept by the learners during two semesters working at the SAC. The study will show the influence that social class may have on how learners perceive themselves, how they envisage an L2 Self, and how they manage their learning. Finally, some possible implications for classroom and SAC work will be presented, as well as suggestions for further research that could be done in this area.
Beliefs about language teaching and learning: Different contexts and perspectives, 2013
In this chapter we talk about a new language learning scenario in Mexico, where students with Spa... more In this chapter we talk about a new language learning scenario in Mexico, where students with Spanish as their de facto official language are developing plurilingual competence by studying several foreign languages in classrooms and self-access centers. Unlike previous studies on multilingualism which have been carried out in classrooms and in multilingual communities (Bailly, Castillo & Ciekanski, 2003; Brohy, 2001; Cavalli, 2006; Debaisieux & Valli, 2003; Schiriha, 2001; among others), this article focuses on language learning outside the classroom, specifically in two self-access centers in two monolingual communities. The aim is to present the learning experience of a group of language learners in a contextual situation which has not yet been greatly explored. For this purpose, we first present a brief review of literature about plurilingualism and its current role in different contexts. The role of languages and language learning in Mexico is also described with the aim of providing readers with contextual information about the study. In the next section, the research methodology that was used in the study is described. The results section includes some of the underlying reasons that motivated the learners to work differently for each of the languages, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese and Russian. These findings include learners’ representations about the languages, and language learning. In the final section, some conclusions about the study are drawn, as well as possible pedagogical implications that could benefit the development of plurilingualism in the self-access centers. This study is important as it is one of the firsts ones that relates plurilingualism and SACs, as well as representations of plurilingual learners working by themselves.
G. Murray, A. Gao & T. Lamb (eds.) Identity, Motivation and Autonomy: Exploring their Links (pp. 91-106). Multilingual Matters., 2011
In the literature on self-access centers (SACs), learners are implicitly considered to be learnin... more In the literature on self-access centers (SACs), learners are implicitly considered to be learning only one language, and thus one aspect of learners can be analyzed. But in reality, SACs are generally multilingual and learners may engage in learning more than one language at a time, allowing other facets of the learner to emerge. Although learners are using multilingual SACs to engage in plurilingual learning projects, this has so far received no attention in the literature. This chapter addresses this gap in the literature by reporting on an exploratory research project, which examines the identity, motivation and autonomy of learners who are working to improve their proficiency in more than one language in two SACs in Mexico.
By learning several languages in a SAC, which means that learners are working by themselves in a more autonomous way, it may be assumed that learners have a particular and strong motivation toward languages. As they invest in the languages, they are investing in their own identities (Norton, 2000). Based on the notions of the second language (L2) Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009), in this chapter we will see how Mexican learners are engaging in a bi- or plurilingual learning project, learning more than one foreign language in order to build a plurilingual identity, and this despite the fact that there is no explicit language policy of multilingualism in Mexico. We will also see how learners can have different attitudes toward the languages being learned, thus revealing different facets of their identities. Moreover, by working, in part, by themselves in a more autonomous way, learners can see and reveal other aspects of their person, which are less likely to be seen when learners are analyzed through the single lens of only one language they are learning, as is usually the case in classrooms.
In order to illustrate these points, the chapter begins by briefly reviewing concepts of motivation and identity and their link with plurilingualism. It then establishes the context by discussing the linguistic and SAC situation in Mexico.This is followed by a description of the methodology and the results of the study.
Barfield & N. Delgado Alvarado (eds.) Autonomy in Language Learning: Stories of Practices, 2013
Roux, A. Mora Vázquez & N. P. Trejo Guzmán (eds.) Research in English Language Teaching: Mexican Perspectives, 2012
Supporting Independent Language Learning: Issues and Options, 2006
In the past fifteen years, there has been an increase in the number of self-access centres around... more In the past fifteen years, there has been an increase in the number of self-access centres around the world. By using new technologies that allow access to up-to-date materials in different languages, they have become centres for multilingual learning. Many of these centres are based on a self-directed system, meaning that an advising service is provided.
In the literature on self-directed language learning, the advisor is considered to be the keystone in a self-access centre. In 1995, Gremmo set out to define the advisor's role. One of the aspects she mentions is that the advisor can advise in and for different languages without being a specialist in those languages. Thus we are confronted with the "plurilingualism" of the advisor, about which almost no research has been done.
Here we need to explain an important distinction between the two terms we will be using. The first is the term "multilingual", which describes an environment or milieu where two or more languages are spoken or expressed. It refers to the nature of the environment, such as a society that uses different languages, learning material presented in different languages, language centres that afford access to different languages, etc. The second is the French term "plurilingual" as it is used by the Council of Europe: "A person who is capable of using advisedly severallinguistic varieties" is plurilingual (Riley, 2003: 13). This distinction is discussed in Riley (2003).
With the purpose of deepening our knowledge of the plurilingualism of the advisor, we investigated the following questions:
1. Does the multilingualism of the technology and materials found in self-access language centres promote a pedagogical plurilingualism?
2. What factors promote plurilingual advising?
3. What training would advisors need to be able to do plurilingual advising in a multilingual setting?
4. What are the advantages to offering plurilingual advising?
The first step toward answering these questions is to recognize the nature of the environment in which an advisor must function competently: that is to say the multilingualism that occurs in a self-access language centre. In this context, multilingualism is present in two different ways:
• First, in the different languages available to be learned as represented by the various materials.
• Second, in the learners and advisors who may speak one or more languages (independent of the languages they want to learn). In other words, the plurilingual learners and advisors for~ a multilingual environment for the centre.
However, we discovered that the multilingual environment in which advisors may have to work can vary significantly from centre to centre, as we will show with the following three cases. As a result, the skills required by advisors, and in particular, the extent to which advisors are allowed to use their plurilingualism, can vary significantly depending on what type of centre they are working in.
B. Preisler, A. Fabricius, H. Haberland, S. Kjaerbeck & K. Risager (dir.), The Consequences of Mobility: Linguistic and Sociocultural Contact Zones, Roskilde: Roskilde Univeristy, pp.154-162. ISBN: 87-7349-651-0, 2005
The traditional schema of the language learning-teaching situation is being increasingly challeng... more The traditional schema of the language learning-teaching situation is being increasingly challenged by didacticians, sociolinguists and cognitive psychologists, and in particular the constitutive roles of teacher, learner and native speaker have been largely reconfigured to take into account approaches such as learner autonomy and self-directed learning. In this article we will suggest and explain a new model for foreign language didactics: the competent foreigner. This concept emphasizes the fact that learners should be themselves instead of trying to become native speakers. We are using the concept of the competent foreigner in our ongoing research at the CRAPEL: the description and analysis of exolinguistic service encounters.
El aprendizaje autodirigido en la UNAM: Una experiencia con historia, 2006
Este capítulo se centra en el punto de vista de los aprendientes que utilizan la mediateca, las p... more Este capítulo se centra en el punto de vista de los aprendientes que utilizan la mediateca, las personas para las cuales fue diseñado y creado este centro. Con base en el análisis de doce entrevistas, se verá, primeramente, la percepción que tienen los aprendientes sobre la mediateca. Segundo, a través de extractos de dichas entrevistas y de un análisis de contenido, se verá de qué manera los aprendientes representan el rol del asesor, la persona que fue puesta a su servicio para ayudarles a desarrollar su capacidad de aprendizaje.
GROUX Dominique, HOLEC Henri (dir.) Une identité plurielle. Mélanges offerts à Louis Porcher, 2003
Papers by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
A assinatura visual de empresas, produtos e serviços passou por transformações, desde seu surgime... more A assinatura visual de empresas, produtos e serviços passou por transformações, desde seu surgimento até os dias atuais. A marca é um forte canal de comunicação de valores intangíveis que impulsiona as trocas simbólicas da sociedade de consumo da atualidade. Com o objetivo de reunir os fundamentos teóricos acerca da temática em questão, este artigo apresenta um estudo que reúne definições que fundamentam o papel aspiracional que as marcas possuem na sociedade contemporânea. É apresentada uma discussão sobre as divergências de termos utilizados por autores da área, suas definições na literatura de design e marketing. Também são discutidos como seus elementos constituintes são apresentados em relação à imagem e identidade, e como a semiótica da marca e seus signos são aplicados na prática. Palavras-chave: Marca, Semiótica, Comunicação. Mark as a channel for transmission of symbolic messages The visual signature of companies, products and services underwent transformations, from its emergence in antiquity to the present day. The brand is a strong channel of communication of intangible values that drives the symbolic exchanges of the consumer society of nowadays. In order to gather the theoretical foundations about the subject matter, this article presents a study that brings together definitions that support the aspirational role of brands in contemporary society. It is discussed the divergence of terms used by authors of the area and the definitions in the design and marketing literature. As also, it is discussed which are their constituent elements related to image and identity, and how the semiotics of the brand and its signs works on practice.
Social Dimensions of Autonomy in Language Learning, 2014
Even though social origin has been important for the sociology of education, mainly after World W... more Even though social origin has been important for the sociology of education, mainly after World War II (Chitty 2002), there has been a lack of research on social class in second language learning, despite this factor’s importance in determining learners’ identity (Block 2012). Learner autonomy, which appeared in the field of foreign languages (FL) in the late 1970s (Holec 1979), has not approached this construct either. Social class is important as it relates to how learners’ socioeconomic origin may have an influence on their performance at school, but also how schools may face the paradox of reproducing the differences found in society, giving more resources to those who belong to an upper class and less to those who belong to a lower one (Kanno 2003). Moreover, the difference in learners lies not only in their performance, but also in the way they position themselves at school and in their life. The theory of possible selves states that the way learners imagine themselves in the future regarding an FL has an impact on the way they will learn it. This chapter will show that learners’ visions of possible L2 selves (Dornyei 2009) may be related to their socioeconomic situation.
The 3rd Independent Learning Association Japan 2007 Conference: Exploring theory, enhancing pract... more The 3rd Independent Learning Association Japan 2007 Conference: Exploring theory, enhancing practice: Autonomy across the disciplines, was held from Friday 5th October to Monday 8th October at Kanda University of International Studies, Chiba, Japan. These proceedings comprise 42 of the 170 scheduled parallel sessions, and one paper written in response to one of the sessions
Beliefs about language teaching and learning have been conceptualized as powerful influences in t... more Beliefs about language teaching and learning have been conceptualized as powerful influences in the way teachers conduct every aspect of their work as well as, in the ways students approach their learning, in addition, new developments in this field have emerged with a more sociocultural and complex approach to beliefs in which the intrincate relationship between teacher and learner’s identity, emotions and cognitions are present. The book offers: • Findings related to the Mexican and Brazilian context, as well as English as a Lingua Franca. • Perspectives from different points of view which include language ideologies and representations. • Implications for language teaching and learning that provides the link from the differet context and perspectives. • A review of studies in this area their methodology which concludes whit suggestions for further research. The book aims to be a useful resource for language teachers, teacher educators, researchers and students who are interested ...
Este capítulo se centra en el punto de vista de los aprendientes que utilizan la mediateca, las p... more Este capítulo se centra en el punto de vista de los aprendientes que utilizan la mediateca, las personas para las cuales fue diseñado y creado este centro. Con base en el análisis de doce entrevistas, se verá, primeramente, la percepción que tienen los aprendientes sobre la mediateca. Segundo, a través de extractos de dichas entrevistas y de un análisis de contenido, se verá de qué manera los aprendientes representan el rol del asesor, la persona que fue puesta a su servicio para ayudarles a desarrollar su capacidad de aprendizaje.
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Books by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
The book offers:
• Findings related to the Mexican and Brazilian contexts, as well as English as a Lingua Franca.
• Perspectives from different points of view which include language ideologies and representations.
• Implications for language teaching and learning that provides the link from the differet context and perspectives.
• A review of studies in this area and their methodology which concludes whit suggestions for further research.
The book aims to be a useful resource for language teachers, teacher educators, researchers and students who are interested in new contributions to beliefs.
Book Chapter by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
The relationship between social class and autonomy emerged as a theme in a longitudinal research project which aimed to analyse the identity of learners working at self-access centres (SACs) by relating their characteristics and their learning decisions to their wider world. Social class was not one of the elements that the research project intended to focus on per se. However, once the data analysis process started, social class arose as a relevant aspect of the learners’ experience.
To approach the notions of class and autonomy, the chapter will start by outlining theoretical perspectives concerning autonomy, SACs, social class and the possible L2 Self. Following this, a description of the study will be presented. The data that will be shown comes from interviews and journals kept by the learners during two semesters working at the SAC. The study will show the influence that social class may have on how learners perceive themselves, how they envisage an L2 Self, and how they manage their learning. Finally, some possible implications for classroom and SAC work will be presented, as well as suggestions for further research that could be done in this area.
By learning several languages in a SAC, which means that learners are working by themselves in a more autonomous way, it may be assumed that learners have a particular and strong motivation toward languages. As they invest in the languages, they are investing in their own identities (Norton, 2000). Based on the notions of the second language (L2) Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009), in this chapter we will see how Mexican learners are engaging in a bi- or plurilingual learning project, learning more than one foreign language in order to build a plurilingual identity, and this despite the fact that there is no explicit language policy of multilingualism in Mexico. We will also see how learners can have different attitudes toward the languages being learned, thus revealing different facets of their identities. Moreover, by working, in part, by themselves in a more autonomous way, learners can see and reveal other aspects of their person, which are less likely to be seen when learners are analyzed through the single lens of only one language they are learning, as is usually the case in classrooms.
In order to illustrate these points, the chapter begins by briefly reviewing concepts of motivation and identity and their link with plurilingualism. It then establishes the context by discussing the linguistic and SAC situation in Mexico.This is followed by a description of the methodology and the results of the study.
In the literature on self-directed language learning, the advisor is considered to be the keystone in a self-access centre. In 1995, Gremmo set out to define the advisor's role. One of the aspects she mentions is that the advisor can advise in and for different languages without being a specialist in those languages. Thus we are confronted with the "plurilingualism" of the advisor, about which almost no research has been done.
Here we need to explain an important distinction between the two terms we will be using. The first is the term "multilingual", which describes an environment or milieu where two or more languages are spoken or expressed. It refers to the nature of the environment, such as a society that uses different languages, learning material presented in different languages, language centres that afford access to different languages, etc. The second is the French term "plurilingual" as it is used by the Council of Europe: "A person who is capable of using advisedly severallinguistic varieties" is plurilingual (Riley, 2003: 13). This distinction is discussed in Riley (2003).
With the purpose of deepening our knowledge of the plurilingualism of the advisor, we investigated the following questions:
1. Does the multilingualism of the technology and materials found in self-access language centres promote a pedagogical plurilingualism?
2. What factors promote plurilingual advising?
3. What training would advisors need to be able to do plurilingual advising in a multilingual setting?
4. What are the advantages to offering plurilingual advising?
The first step toward answering these questions is to recognize the nature of the environment in which an advisor must function competently: that is to say the multilingualism that occurs in a self-access language centre. In this context, multilingualism is present in two different ways:
• First, in the different languages available to be learned as represented by the various materials.
• Second, in the learners and advisors who may speak one or more languages (independent of the languages they want to learn). In other words, the plurilingual learners and advisors for~ a multilingual environment for the centre.
However, we discovered that the multilingual environment in which advisors may have to work can vary significantly from centre to centre, as we will show with the following three cases. As a result, the skills required by advisors, and in particular, the extent to which advisors are allowed to use their plurilingualism, can vary significantly depending on what type of centre they are working in.
Papers by E. Desirée Castillo Zaragoza
The book offers:
• Findings related to the Mexican and Brazilian contexts, as well as English as a Lingua Franca.
• Perspectives from different points of view which include language ideologies and representations.
• Implications for language teaching and learning that provides the link from the differet context and perspectives.
• A review of studies in this area and their methodology which concludes whit suggestions for further research.
The book aims to be a useful resource for language teachers, teacher educators, researchers and students who are interested in new contributions to beliefs.
The relationship between social class and autonomy emerged as a theme in a longitudinal research project which aimed to analyse the identity of learners working at self-access centres (SACs) by relating their characteristics and their learning decisions to their wider world. Social class was not one of the elements that the research project intended to focus on per se. However, once the data analysis process started, social class arose as a relevant aspect of the learners’ experience.
To approach the notions of class and autonomy, the chapter will start by outlining theoretical perspectives concerning autonomy, SACs, social class and the possible L2 Self. Following this, a description of the study will be presented. The data that will be shown comes from interviews and journals kept by the learners during two semesters working at the SAC. The study will show the influence that social class may have on how learners perceive themselves, how they envisage an L2 Self, and how they manage their learning. Finally, some possible implications for classroom and SAC work will be presented, as well as suggestions for further research that could be done in this area.
By learning several languages in a SAC, which means that learners are working by themselves in a more autonomous way, it may be assumed that learners have a particular and strong motivation toward languages. As they invest in the languages, they are investing in their own identities (Norton, 2000). Based on the notions of the second language (L2) Motivational Self System (Dörnyei, 2009), in this chapter we will see how Mexican learners are engaging in a bi- or plurilingual learning project, learning more than one foreign language in order to build a plurilingual identity, and this despite the fact that there is no explicit language policy of multilingualism in Mexico. We will also see how learners can have different attitudes toward the languages being learned, thus revealing different facets of their identities. Moreover, by working, in part, by themselves in a more autonomous way, learners can see and reveal other aspects of their person, which are less likely to be seen when learners are analyzed through the single lens of only one language they are learning, as is usually the case in classrooms.
In order to illustrate these points, the chapter begins by briefly reviewing concepts of motivation and identity and their link with plurilingualism. It then establishes the context by discussing the linguistic and SAC situation in Mexico.This is followed by a description of the methodology and the results of the study.
In the literature on self-directed language learning, the advisor is considered to be the keystone in a self-access centre. In 1995, Gremmo set out to define the advisor's role. One of the aspects she mentions is that the advisor can advise in and for different languages without being a specialist in those languages. Thus we are confronted with the "plurilingualism" of the advisor, about which almost no research has been done.
Here we need to explain an important distinction between the two terms we will be using. The first is the term "multilingual", which describes an environment or milieu where two or more languages are spoken or expressed. It refers to the nature of the environment, such as a society that uses different languages, learning material presented in different languages, language centres that afford access to different languages, etc. The second is the French term "plurilingual" as it is used by the Council of Europe: "A person who is capable of using advisedly severallinguistic varieties" is plurilingual (Riley, 2003: 13). This distinction is discussed in Riley (2003).
With the purpose of deepening our knowledge of the plurilingualism of the advisor, we investigated the following questions:
1. Does the multilingualism of the technology and materials found in self-access language centres promote a pedagogical plurilingualism?
2. What factors promote plurilingual advising?
3. What training would advisors need to be able to do plurilingual advising in a multilingual setting?
4. What are the advantages to offering plurilingual advising?
The first step toward answering these questions is to recognize the nature of the environment in which an advisor must function competently: that is to say the multilingualism that occurs in a self-access language centre. In this context, multilingualism is present in two different ways:
• First, in the different languages available to be learned as represented by the various materials.
• Second, in the learners and advisors who may speak one or more languages (independent of the languages they want to learn). In other words, the plurilingual learners and advisors for~ a multilingual environment for the centre.
However, we discovered that the multilingual environment in which advisors may have to work can vary significantly from centre to centre, as we will show with the following three cases. As a result, the skills required by advisors, and in particular, the extent to which advisors are allowed to use their plurilingualism, can vary significantly depending on what type of centre they are working in.
This thesis looks at the analysis of both advisors and learners from three Mexican self-access centers located in a university setting. Through a comparative study, the thesis shows how the conceptual approaches that gave birth to the centers had a determining effect on their setup. The thesis also shows that it is in accordance with the beliefs that advisors have of language learning in general, and of the learning that is done in a center in particular, but also in accordance with the goals set down by the center that they put in place, the services and the materials that they consider necessary to permit learning to take place. The thesis concludes that each center has a unique form of functioning, which is a meeting point between what the advisors propose and what the learners, taking into account their individuality, their educational situation, their economic means, and their future plans, find in the center to give form to their personal learning project.