Play Frames and Social Identities

Formulaic Language, Creativity, and Language Play in a Second Language

“…Often-perhaps more often than for adults-such play occurs as private speech (Lantolf, 1997). Examples of play with formulaic sequences can be found in Aronsson (2004, 2005), Kim and Kellogg (2007), Lytra (2007), Howard (2009), Wang and Hyun (2009), and Evaldsson and Cekaite (2010). Taken together and compared with the data reported in studies of adult L2 users, the results of these studies also suggest that, while children play with all levels of language, they may tend to engage in more play with language (vs. play in language) than adults, and particularly more phonological play.…”

“…These two types of play-using formulaic sequences to play with the L2 and using them to play in the L2-are evident across the literature on L2 language play. In the majority of the studies, what is exhibited is pattern re-forming play, whereas evidence of pattern-forming play is much less common (although see Evaldsson & Cekaite, 2010;Lytra, 2007). This may be largely due to the relative lack of longitudinal studies of L2 development.…”

“…The ability to play with formulas (use language creatively) and to construct new (playful, creative) formulas has the potential for rich rewards in the social realm, allowing us to perform a range of social actions. These include constructing and reaffirming (group and individual) identities, negotiating shifting alignments, mitigating face-threats, and expressing changes in stance and footing (Cekaite & Aronsson, 2005;Evaldsson & Cekaite, 2010;Huth, 2010;Lytra, 2007;Pomerantz & Bell, 2007;Talmy, 2010;van Dam, 2002). Evaldsson and Cekaite's (2010) article, for example, presents several extracts demonstrating the sensitivity of a multilingual group of school children to incorrect Swedish formulations and how they reacted swiftly, teasing the offender and thereby upholding monolingual Swedish norms.…”

“…Furthermore, students exploit formulaic language for playful purposes in order to cope with classroom tasks and/or to resist or critique the pedagogical approaches used and the classroom norms of interaction (Blackledge & Creese, 2009;Bushnell, 2009;DaSilva Iddings & McCafferty, 2007;Garland, 2010;Lytra, 2007;Pomerantz & Bell, 2011). Blackledge and Creese (2009), for instance, documented strong resistance from a group of heritage language learners of Cantonese, who drew on formulaic sequences from the media (the one million pound question) and stylized overuse of conventional ways of providing feedback (uhhuh uh-huh) to disrupt a dictation activity.…”

A Broader View of Language in School: Research from Linguistic Ethnography

“…While Dyson focuses on the relevance of children's experience of popular culture to their curriculum activities, it is also clearly important in the expression of their personal identity aspirations and in the structuring of relationships with peers. For instance, Lytra (2007) traces how Turkish minority students in an Athens school use references to mainstream Greek popular culture in off-task talk to claim a shared bicultural identity with Greek peers. Popular culture can also have a more subversive effect on classroom relations, providing shared reference points which may be invoked by students to exclude teachers and undermine their authority.…”