3.1 Social Symbol interaction: Behavioral Norms of "Test-Taking" and "Using English"
National policies, school education, and family upbringing play crucial roles in disseminating public discourse and aiding learners in forming cognitive structures, learning behavioral norms, and beliefs. The behavioral norms and beliefs in English learning are closely tied to the internal dialogue of individuals, particularly in "you" and "me," impacting the cognitive scope and content of individuals' self-concept.
From an early age, both Tong Tong and Yao Yao, influenced by parents and teachers, not only focus on exam requirements but also emphasize the importance of "speaking English." Yao Yao sees speaking English as embodying a different self and a distinct way of life, stating, "learning English is meant for communication; I feel there are two paths in English learning after college, one for written tests and one for oral communication." Similarly, Tong Tong distinguishes between "exam-oriented" and "speaking English" as two different behavioral norms:
"I don't want to be someone who can only solve problems but can't use it; I don't want to be the type with. particularly poor pronunciation. I also don't want to be someone who can use it but can't solve problems. Right now, I can solve problems a bit and speak a bit." (Tong Tong, interview)
Learners from different social networks and with varying social resources interpret the English learning behavioral norms, standards, and beliefs propagated by societal discourse differently.
Yue Yue attributes the gap in English learning between herself and peers after entering university to differences in upbringing and family backgrounds, stating, "from the beginning, maybe they had better environments, education, and family backgrounds than you, and you have to admit that." Like Yue Yue, learners such as Xiao Wei and Xiao Qiang, in their pre-university environments and social networks, primarily focus on "exam-oriented" learning, lacking opportunities to use English.
Human behavioral norms are not fixed (Blumer 1986: 59). In the new university environment and through interactions with classmates and teachers, Xiao Wei and Xiao Qiang reevaluate the symbolic significance and value of "English" on campus. They gradually shift away from the exam-oriented behavioral norms, recognizing the significance and importance of English as a means of communication. For example, Xiao Qiang expresses a desire to "use English to make friends from around the world and become a successful person with an international perspective."
Archer (2003) suggests that beliefs are individuals' ways of observing the world, enabling them to confidently deal with things they believe to be true. In China, widely circulated public discourse influences the English learning beliefs of university learners, including notions of "standard English," "standard pronunciation" versus "tolerance for errors," and the balance between "hard work" and "language talent," as well as the creation of an "immersive learning environment" versus "constructing a language learning environment." Different beliefs and standards impact the internal symbolic interactions of university English learners.
3.2 Inner Symbol dialogue: Different Learning Psychological States of College Students
This study revealed seven different states that "self" may exist in during the English learning process of Chinese college students: neglect and unconsciousness, conflict transfer, conflict postponement, conflict confirmation, conflict intensification, conflict mitigation, and highly internal solidarity relationships However, these states are by no means in simple linear order and individuals may vary in their psychological states under specific contexts (see Fig. 2).
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The state of "neglect and unconsciousness"
is that there is little dialogue related to foreign language learning in their internal world, they do not care about others' evaluations, thinking, and predicting their own performance in foreign languages, and they lack motivation for foreign language learning. For example, Xiao Wei in his first year of college did not think that English learning was important: "I never thought about learning English... no one around me can persist in learning English, and no one can discuss how to learn English well." With the habit of not learning English, his English learning self began with "no perception." There is little feedback from "visitors" on his English ability in his internal world, and "I" has not predicted or required anything from "you," nor has he reflected on his performance in English speaking ability.
(2) In the state of "conflict confirmation",
learners' internal cognitions and negative judgments are affirmed and reinforced. They undergo a process of digesting and internalizing feedback and evaluation, often initially attributing responsibility to others before accepting or rejecting these opinions. Yue Yue, Tong Tong, Xiao Wei, and Xiao Qiang, when facing the new environment on the university campus, reassess and evaluate themselves. For example, Yue Yue realized the gap with her classmates in the first English class in college and acknowledged the need to improve her oral performance. Despite considering the opinions of "temporary visitors" in the new environment, she found that her expressive abilities still fell short of expectations, causing internal conflict: "I immediately realized how bad my spoken English was... I could only say the simplest sentences."
Both Xiao Qiang and Xiao Wei experienced the psychological state of "conflict confirmation," becoming aware of the gaps and issues in their English abilities. Xiao Wei, in his sophomore year after facing some minor setbacks, recognized the importance of English learning for him and chose to embrace the challenges brought by the new environment. In an interview, Xiao Wei mentioned, "For English activities, I knew I couldn't get selected. I lack confidence in my English, but I really wanted to go. "
Tong Tong encountered difficulties in English, but she continually improved her expressive abilities through reflection and dialogue with foreign teachers. Despite at times reflecting on the "me" and feeling "not up to the mark" according to the expectations of the "you," not achieving the desired effect, she still encouraged herself, believing in her ongoing efforts to enhance herself.
After the stage of "conflict confirmation," these four English learners set different expectations and requirements for the internal "you," leading to diverse trajectories and trends in their self-dialogue.
(3) Learners in the "conflict intensification" phase
engage in internal dialogues and, under the influence of others in the context, "I" and "you" discuss and question "me" and experience extreme negative emotions, questioning their sense of value, and the extreme negative emotions prevent "I" from having the motivation to create and work hard in foreign language learning.
Xiao Wei experienced a great deal of shock after his internal dialogue was further intensified by the internship he began in the second semester of sophomore year, after being ignored, in a state of conflict, or in a stage of confirmation.
The internship boss said, "You came so early, I'll take you to the English Corner, which is different from school, it's like an English Party." His friend runs an English tutorial in Beijing. So he went there, and in that activity, he talked about someone who impressed him. There were many people there who didn't have my education, but I still felt superior. At first, I was quite confident. I listened to the two or three people before me and thought they were only at a second-tier level! I thought I would certainly speak better than they did. But after I spoke, the teacher was very hesitant and said, "What do you want to say? Say it in Chinese!" Oh, that blow was too great! (Xiao Wei, interview)
In an off-campus English corner, he experienced a setback due to his oral proficiency falling short of expectations, further impacting his self-worth. He expressed, "I've been under long-term pressure, unable to achieve it for a long time. This is related to my values. I don't care about the substantive impact of things. If I accomplish this, it's a huge affirmation for myself. Indeed, because of English, I've suffered too many and too significant blows."
(4) College students in the "conflict transfer period"
filter out the impact of others' evaluations on themselves and no longer think too much about their own performance. They lack foreign language learning goals and ideals, gradually reduce the setting of "you," and solidify their understanding and self-awareness. This is because learners have a need for self-protection and internal consistency. They will use strategies and behaviors, such as adjusting their attributions or adopting some self-sabotaging strategies, such as giving up efforts, procrastinating, lowering goals, or avoiding challenging learning tasks (Collins 1996, 2000; Feick & Rhodewalt 1997; Harris & Snyder 1986; Wills 1981). However, due to external expectations for English proficiency in university, learners may find themselves in conflict and struggle once again during their academic journey.
In her sophomore year, Yueyue tried to avoid using English in class as she had previously experienced the "conflict confirmation" state in her freshman year. When required to give a presentation in an English class, she employed various strategies to protect her image, such as using music, videos, and images to delay time. This not only pleased the audience but also reduced her exposure time. However, if unexpected situations occurred, such as time constraints not allowing for videos, and she had to speak on her own, she felt uneasy.
In the second semester of college, during a class presentation activity, due to the previous two partners exceeding their time limit, the time left for Yue Yue was less than 8 minutes. She asked me if she could skip her presentation, feeling that it would not matter if she did not speak. Later, in less than 5 minutes of presentation time, she appeared more flustered and her voice trembled. In the first minute, she repeatedly reiterated some background introduction content and frequently rolled up her sleeves. (Refer to the video data: Classroom presentation topic: American sports)
(5) The "conflict mitigation" phase refers to
the learners who, under the stimulation of external evaluations and feedback, experience and determine the improvement of their foreign language abilities, reducing the distance between themselves and their ideal goals. More importantly, they have a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of their own ability recognition and existing problems.
After experiencing the "neglect" and "conflict confirmation" stages, Xiao Qiang recognized the gaps and deficiencies in his English learning. Consequently, he began setting learning expectations and requirements, taking action to achieve his goals. Even in the face of difficulties during his efforts, he could alleviate internal contradictions with belief and determination.
In the second year of college, Xiao Qiang attended a lecture by a professor from the University of Sydney. Unlike his silence in the first year, he bravely asked questions in front of over a hundred people and spoke in English. He felt satisfied with his ability to speak English courageously, stating, "Actually, it's not a big deal, I can do it!" This positive self-comfort allowed him to develop a positive self-concept. He sought out a group of like-minded individuals to communicate with, listened to them, and ventured outside the campus to find opportunities for spoken English practice. Over time, through English practice and drills, he gained a clearer understanding of his abilities. "At that time, the foreign teacher said my English level is already sufficient for me to live abroad, and that day I realized, hey, maybe I can go, even to the United States, to live. Although there is still room for improvement in my studies, there should be no problem for sure."
(6) During the "conflict postponement period,"
learners may have temporary "solidarity" in their internal world. They believe that the conflicts in their internal dialogue can be eased and reconciled. Markus (2006:182) believes that the motivation for self-protection is related to self-esteem, and Tong Tong, who has higher self-worth, is confident in her ability.
Tong Tong once compared herself with students from other top universities such as Peking University and Tsinghua University during an internship interview and felt that her English was not good enough. " I" questioned "visitors," and even accompanied by a sense of regret. However, in the interview, she kept encouraging herself, maintaining the feeling of internal solidarity:
"I can do it too. If I pay a little more attention, practice more, I can reach that level. I'm not in awe of it like, it's something unattainable." (Tong Tong, interview)
This state may limit the learners' creativity and the enhancement of internal solidarity. When societal aspects such as social life, work, and academic requirements demand specific English language proficiency, learners temporarily in a state of internal consistency may find themselves entering the conflict confirmation stage. In such situations, a reevaluation of the significance of English learning could potentially trigger a flow of learning motivation (Author, 2019).
(7)A highly internal solidarity psychological state
assumes a certain level of mutual identification among "I," "you," and "me," which can bring excitement and joy to individuals. This assumption of identification can provide individuals with motivation and semiotic power. Internal solidarity comes from interpersonal interaction solidarity, and the mutual identification of internal selves comes from achieving mutual recognition between an individual and an intimate other or a group of others. The ultimate goal is to achieve inner solidarity, tranquility, and harmony. In the context of learning English, the learner's internal psychological state is crucial for confidence and emotional motivation. Among all the research subjects, only Yao Yao achieved this state.
Yao Yao understands the societal expectations and requirements for English learning, believing that she can meet these expectations. This allows her to pursue her life while fulfilling societal demands, achieving internal solidarity in the field of English learning. During her university years, she did not experience obvious and prolonged conflicting states internally. Even when faced with situations where the external environment did not align with her expectations, such as expressing herself in a "hard-logic" manner during a speech competition, she chose to trust herself, saying, "Anyway, I have logic, so I'll just speak logically instead telling ‘soft’ stories," to maintain internal solidarity. Brown (2004: 97) suggests that the more certain an individual's self-concept, the better they feel about themselves.