Putting more than words in their mouths: Using model dialogues to construct social reality in the Japanese language classroom

Becoming a Japanese Language Learner, User, and Teacher: Revelations From Life History Research

“…As part of my dissertation project, I also observed Sarah in her various classrooms as a Japanese language teacher. Some of those observational data were used in Armour (1998). Although those data are relevant to this article (Armour, 1998, is cited when necessary), the focus is on how Sarah articulated her own identities by reflecting on her lived experiences.…”

“…Some of those observational data were used in Armour (1998). Although those data are relevant to this article (Armour, 1998, is cited when necessary), the focus is on how Sarah articulated her own identities by reflecting on her lived experiences. Furthermore, there were no other data from which to draw, that is, Sarah did not keep a diary during the period she was learning and teaching Japanese language.…”

“…We only knew that when we heard Japanese people speaking they spoke differently to us. (italics added) Sarah wanted an "authentic" speaking voice activated through participating and appropriating language behaviour (see Armour, 1998). Instead she got "basically only the structures that we taught at school ourselves."…”

“…The classroom at XX offered Sarah "cleansed texts" (see Armour, 1998), the very same type she was teaching (using?) in her own classroom.…”

“…in her own classroom. Armour (1998) suggested that REVELATIONS FROM LIFE HISTORY instead of scripted models, the advanced learner must access model texts designed for the native speaker such as television programmes, movies, popular music and the like to affirm or, in some cases, reaffirm social conventions [pivots] as well as developing background knowledge needed for interaction." (p. 192) Sarah wanted these types of models from which to appropriate language and socio-cultural pivots necessary to become a L2 user.…”