A Research On Cultural Identity Change In Uyghur English Learners In Xinjiang

Language is related to a set of behavioral norms and cultural values, which construct learners’ identity. During the process of learning a foreign language, a learner may unconsciously acquire the culture and thinking pattern of the native speakers of the target language. A large number of studies about language learning and identity change have been conducted in different contexts around the world. However, researches on foreign language learning and cultural identity change in Uyghur context have not been aroused adequate attention. As a crossroads of economic and cultural exchange, Xinjiang has always been a melting pot of different peoples. Uyghur students may probably be exposed to a multilingual and multicultural environment at birth. Mandarin Chinese, as an official language, has become a common tool of communication for different ethnic groups in Xinjiang. With the speeding up of globalization, more and more Uyghur students begin to learn English. The Muslim-based Uyghur culture is quite different from Confucianism-based Han culture, also different from Christianality-based English culture. So it is necessary and meaningful to examine the relationship between English learning and identity shift in Uyghur students during the process of English learning.Drawing on the modified measurement scale on EFL (English as foreign language) and self-identity changes developed by Gao et al. (2004,2005,2013), this study mainly explores the questions related to cultural identity shift in Uyghur English learners in Xinjiang. (1) Does English language education affect the construction of Uyghur EFL learners’ cultural identity? (2) Whether does the "productive bilingualism" take place in Uyghur English learners? (3) How do different factors such as gender, college year, major, starting time of learning English, English proficiency, English learning motivation intensity influence their cultural identity changes?The study shows that English learning does exert some influence on cultural identities in Uyghur learners.Firstly, it is found that though Uyghur English learners have a strong consciousness of their ethnic belongings and the cultural conflict they will encounter, the changes in their behavioral patterns, values and beliefs are "gaining" rather "losing" in general.Secondly, the study suggests that productive bilingualism is not limited to Han English learners, it is also a reality and a feasible goal for Uyghur English learners. The results of the present study indicate that for Uyghur English learners, the command of the target language and the native language can positively reinforce each other. The present research confirms that productive bilingualism is a universal phenomenon among foreign language learners.Thirdly, this study has found that besides the affective factors such as motivation intensity and self-confidence, the starting time of learning English is the most important demographic factor influencing cultural identity change in Uyghur English learners.