THE CONSTRUCTION OF EXCEPTIONAL EFL LEARNER IDENTITY a NARRATIVE INQUIRY OF FORMER GIFTED LEARNERS = sự HÌNH THÀNH căn TÍNH của học SINH CHUYÊN ANH một NGHIÊN cứu tự sự về cựu học SINH CHUYÊN AN

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF LINGUISTICS AND CULTURE OF ENGLISH SPEAKING COUNTRIES GRADUATION PAPER THE CONSTRUCTION OF EXCEPTIONAL EFL LEARNER IDENTITY: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY OF FORMER GIFTED LEARNERS Supervisor: Hoàng Thị Hạnh (Ph D) Student: Trần Thuý Hằng Class: QH.2017.F.1.E1.SPCLC HÀ NỘI, 2021 ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA NGƠN NGỮ VÀ VĂN HĨA CÁC NƯỚC NĨI TIẾNG ANH KHĨA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP SỰ HÌNH THÀNH CĂN TÍNH CỦA HỌC SINH CHUYÊN ANH: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU TỰ SỰ VỀ CỰU HỌC SINH CHUYÊN ANH Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Hoàng Thị Hạnh (Ph D) Sinh viên: Trần Thuý Hằng Khóa: QH.2017.F.1.E1.SPCLC HÀ NỘI – 2021 I hereby state that I: Trần Thúy Hằng, QH.2017.F.1.E1.SPCLC, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (English Language Teacher Education - Honors Program), accept the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper Signature Trần Thúy Hằng ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This graduation paper has been a painstaking yet ultimately worthwhile endeavor about a subject that is very dear to my heart Although I was very passionate about it, there were a lot of moments where the task of working on the paper was out of my physical and mental limit Therefore, I am forever grateful to the many people who have helped me while I pursued this academic and personal project Firstly, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to my supervisor Mrs Hoang Thi Hanh for her incredible patience and support in every step of my progress It has been an honor for me to have her read and comment on my work, and I have learnt a lot from her critical mindset and her work ethic I could not have finished this paper without her Secondly, I would like to thank the three participants of this research project for their enthusiastic participation and thoughtful reflections Thirdly, I would like to thank my fellow research-mate Huong, and my close friends Linh, Thu who have taken their time to listen to my worries and support me through the many sleepless nights Finally, many thanks to my family members for being considerate and believing in my ability i ABSTRACT The current system of gifted high schools in Vietnam aims to discover talents through high–stake assessments and foster these gifted learners in their chosen majors and as well-rounded learners While gifted learners continue to contribute to the nation’s development with their outstanding achievements, few have explored gifted education’s meritocratic influence on their learning experience and identity development The study fills this gap by examining the identity construction of three former gifted English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners in their experience at gifted high schools Data were collected through narratives to gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of former gifted English learners in gifted high schools The study finds that learners’ access to different forms of capital (social, cultural, and economic) plays an important part in their academic success as gifted EFL learners, rather than their actual talents alone as assumed by gifted institutions’ supposedly meritocratic policy While gifted EFL learners are required to invest heavily in their English learning, the excessive focus on performance in high-stake and merit assessments reduces the complexity of their learning experience and restricts the identity formation process of learners Their outstanding academic achievements are gained through the process of climbing over others in the academic ladder, which marks both their exceptional talents and their vulnerability and insecurity in being in the top position Furthermore, although gifted institutions expose learners to unique opportunities in extracurricular activities and foreign education for their well-rounded development, gifted learners have to exercise their agency by navigating this competitive environment to gain outstanding academic or social achievements even at the expense of their social well-being ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i ABSTRACT ii TABLE OF CONTENTS iii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study 1.2 Statement of the research problem and question 1.3 Scope of the research 1.4 Significance of the study CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Gifted schools in the context of Vietnam 2.1.1 The current state of gifted education 2.1.2 The ideology of meritocracy in gifted high schools 2.2 Theoretical framework 2.2.1 Bourdieu’s capital theory 2.2.2 Second or foreign language (L2) learners’ identity 10 2.3 Review of relevant studies and research gap 10 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 12 3.1 Selection of participants 12 3.2 The portraits of participants 13 3.3 Data collection 14 3.3.1 Instrument 14 3.3.2 Procedure 14 3.4 Data analysis 15 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION 17 4.1 Opportunities in gifted high schools 17 4.2 A race of social and cultural capital in the name of talent to specialized high schools 19 iii 4.3 Exceptional English learner: An unstable and insecure position constructed through assessments 25 4.3.1 Exceptional English learner: An unstable position 25 4.3.2 Insecurity of exceptional English learners 30 4.3.3 Gifted institutions’ accountability and prestige 33 4.4 Exceptional learners with social and psychological sufferings 36 4.5 Discussion of findings 38 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 41 5.1 Summary of major findings 41 5.2 Implications 43 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further studies 44 REFERENCES 45 APPENDICES 50 Appendix 1: Semi-Structured Interview 50 Appendix 2: Consent Form 52 Appendix 3: Coding scheme 55 iv CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study The first gifted education program in Viet Nam was launched in 1965 under the direct pronouncement of former Prime Minister Pham Van Dong (Nguyen, 2014) Its initial mission was to recognize, foster, elevate exceptional talents in science and diplomacy as government officers with leadership roles to serve in the ongoing wars However, since 1986, Doi Moi and the Open-Door policy have transformed Vietnam’s foreign affair policies, which attracted investment from developed countries such as the United States, European countries, and Australia (Nguyen, 2013; Nguyen & Tran, 2014; Pham, 2014; Tran et al 2014) The previously centralized economy also shifted into a socialist-oriented market economy Because of these monumental societal changes, educational reforms were needed to train a new leading workforce with foreign language competency and scientific knowledge to serve the industrialization and modernization of the country In the 1980s and 1990s, the system of gifted education undergone significant expansion to include specializing classes in Mathematics, Literature, Foreign Languages, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Informatics, History, and Geography The establishment of gifted high schools has created a system of recognizing and fostering “talents” to act as leading contributors to national prosperity and positive international relations The education system in Vietnam is considered meritocratic because of the emphasis on merit-based assessments from the elementary school level and above The meritocratic influence in education is the most prevalent in the system of gifted education Alongside high–stake examinations conducted to select high-achieving students based on their results, competition for Talented students is an important means of recognizing and fostering “talents” in their gifted subjects Competition for Talented students was held at the end of primary and secondary schools within the scope of district and region, whereas high school students in their three years may enter the competition at regional and most importantly, national and international level (MOET, 1997) This process of distinguishing talents early allows learners in fifth grade and ninth grade of all institutions in the country to be able to compete and earn prizes marking their academic ability or merit, which ensures equal opportunity to be given to learners Additionally, neoliberal influence exists in the system of gifted education as competition for Talented students is also used as a means to assess the education quality of each institution (MOET, 2014) and is an important aspect of ranking consideration Consequently, this comparison between students and institutions increases competition, leading institutions to focus on attracting and fostering highachieving students to improve their ranking on the market (Hursh, 2005; Lubienski & Lubienski, 2013) As a learner who was in the gifted program since middle school and became a student in a competitive gifted high school, I am motivated to carry out this research to understand the unique experiences of myself and my peers of similar backgrounds I was only able to realize the distinctiveness of my experience as a former gifted high school student when I was in university and socialized with a variety of people Some people, when they knew about my high school, would remark on a special, energetic, ambitious, capable vibe that former gifted students had While I failed to understand their perception, they could not comprehend my story of being in an environment of intense competition, where everyone was ambitious in their way whether academically or socially Nor could they empathize with the strong sense of community that my high school students shared, which was built from the very first moments we entered the school ground among our upperclassmen loudest cheers, to the yearbook that documented our youth through pictures of the clubs, the extracurricular activities, the classmates Therefore, I have always felt easier to connect with people who have been through a similar high school experience while being intrigued by their perspectives A conversation between my friend and me about our shared time in the National competition for Talented students, where she had additional burden from being in the top class and reminded of the fact by the teachers, sparked my interest in studying the complexity of the experience of being former gifted English learners 1.2 Statement of the research problem and question Gifted high schools identify their “talents” as students with the most exceptional results in the increasingly competitive and supposedly meritocratic entrance examinations Their mission of fostering “talents” is exhibited through the celebration of gifted learners’ exceptional academic achievements such as the prizes in the National competition for Talented students, scholarships to foreign universities, or other merit competitions While gifted learners’ academic success is impressive, it is important to study their learning experience to gain a comprehensive understanding of the gifted institutions’ environment’s influence on learners’ ability and identity development This research, through narrative inquiry, aims to explore the process of identity construction and negotiation of former gifted English as a Foreign language (EFL) students during their time in their respective gifted high schools This study will be guided by the following research question: How former students of specialized English programs in high school perceive, construct and negotiate their identity as gifted English learners? 1.3 Scope of the research This research centers around three gifted English language learners in their twenties who were former students of gifted high schools in Vietnam: a gifted high school of a remote area in the Northern region, a gifted high school of a rural town, and one the of most competitive gifted high schools in Hanoi Since the study draws on participants’ first-hand experience utilizing narrative through in-depth interviews, the participants are restricted to those who are currently in Hanoi, and Thirdly, the multitude of learners’ identities as gifted English learners should be empowered through the expansion of different legitimate domains to fulfill the mission of gifted high schools in producing specialized and well-rounded individuals 5.3 Limitations and suggestions for further studies This study has some limitations concerning the data Firstly, due to the nature of the narrative inquiry, the sample size is small and limited to learners in the Northern region who, at the time of data collection, resided in Hanoi and were under 25 years old The diverse politics of gifted high schools coupled with the different subjective focuses of individual learners means this study may not be generalized to all gifted English learners in Vietnam The unique quality of language competence and the dominant role of English in Vietnam’s current society also means that the findings may not be generalized to all gifted learners in Vietnam Future studies of gifted learners in Vietnam could focus on non-academic aspects of gifted learners’ identity formation, different profiles of gifted learners, or investigate different politics of gifted institutions Another direction is to examine the identity development of gifted learners in high schools and its effect on their future paths, paying closer attention to their acts of agency in their selection of university and aspirational career paths 44 REFERENCES Anderson, B (1981) Imagined communities London: Verso Aneja, G A (2016) (Non) native speakered: Rethinking (non) nativeness and teacher identity in TESOL teacher education Tesol Quarterly, 50(3), 572-596 Bourdieu, P (1986) The forms of capital In: J., Richardson, Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education New York: Greenwood Press Bourdieu, P (1991) Language & symbolic power Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press Bourdieu, 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Bạn kể trải nghiệm quan trọng việc học tiếng Anh khơng? Bạn kể q trình học tập để vào trường chuyên? Bạn gặp khó khăn, áp lực nào? Bạn vượt qua chúng nào? Gia đình bạn có ảnh hưởng trình luyện thi bạn? Bạn bè/thầy có ảnh hưởng trình luyện thi bạn? B Quá trình học chuyên Anh Bạn kể trình lựa chọn trường cấp bạn theo học? Bạn có tưởng tượng trường/học sinh/thầy cô trước vào trường? Những tưởng tượng đến từ đâu? Bạn kể q trình học tập lớp? Probing: - Bạn kể q trình học đội tuyển khơng? - Bạn kể q trình chuẩn bị hồ sơ du học khơng? Bạn có dự định cho việc du học khơng? - Bạn kể q trình học để ơn thi đại học Việt Nam khơng? Q trình lựa chọn ngành trường đại học bạn? - Bạn kể giáo viên dạy tiếng Anh bạn học nào? Bạn kể hoạt động tập thể trường bạn không? Trải nghiệm tham gia hoạt động tập thể bạn năm nhất, năm hai năm ba nào? Trải nghiệm tham gia CLB trường bạn nào? 50 Trải nghiệm tham gia hoạt động ngoại khố ngồi trường bạn nào? Bạn kể sống xã hội năm khơng? Bạn kể mối quan hệ bạn với gia đình năm khơng? 10 Những hình mẫu điển hình học sinh trường bạn nào? 11 Trong ấn tượng bạn, hình mẫu lý tưởng học sinh chuyên Anh trường người nào? 12 Bạn thời cấp ba người nào? 13 Bạn có nhận định hình mẫu lý tưởng tính thân? 14 Những thời điểm quan trọng khiến bạn cảm thấy học sinh trường? 15 Bạn có nhận định học sinh trường chuyên khác? 16 Bạn có nhận định hệ sau trường cấp ba bạn? C Quá trình phát triển sau tốt nghiệp trường chuyên Môi trường đại học bạn nào? Bạn kể trình học tập đại học bạn khơng? Trải nghiệm tham gia hoạt động ngoại khố thời gian học đại học bạn nào? Bạn có tham gia chương trình trao đổi văn hố q trình học đại học? Định hướng phát triển nghiệp bạn nào? Các mối quan hệ bạn nào? Những người bạn cũ thời cấp bạn rồi? Bạn cảm thấy bạn bạn cấp ba có khác biệt nào? Vì sao? 51 Appendix 2: Consent Form THƠNG TIN VỀ NGHIÊN CỨU Thơng tin người thực nghiên cứu Tên người thực nghiên cứu: Trần Thuý Hằng, lớp QH2017.F1.E1.SPCLC, ngành Sư phạm Tiếng Anh hệ Chất lượng cao, Đại học Ngoại ngữ, Đại học Quốc gia Hà Nội Giảng viên hướng dẫn đề tài: Cơ Hồng Thị Hạnh, khoa Ngơn ngữ Văn hóa nước nói Tiếng Anh Tên đề tài nghiên cứu: Sự hình thành phát triển nhân dạng cựu học sinh THPT chuyên Anh Mục đích nghiên cứu: Làm khóa luận tốt nghiệp Tóm tắt nghiên cứu Nghiên cứu nhằm mục đích tìm hiểu sâu hình thành phát triển nhân dạng cựu học sinh THPT chuyên Anh trình học cấp ba, đại học sau tốt nghiệp đại học Nhiệm vụ người tham gia nghiên cứu Khi tham gia nghiên cứu, người tham gia tham gia vấn một-một với người thực nghiên cứu, số lượng vấn tối thiểu cá nhân 01 vấn, trường hợp cần thiết, có thêm vấn theo sau vấn để thu thập thêm thông tin Các vấn ghi âm chuyển sang định dạng văn nhằm mục đích phân tích cho nghiên cứu Quyền lợi người tham gia nghiên cứu - Được cung cấp thông tin nội dung nghiên cứu, nhiệm vụ quyền lợi người tham gia nghiên cứu 52 - Việc tham gia nghiên cứu hồn tồn tự nguyện, khơng bị ép buộc Người tham gia nghiên cứu rút khỏi nghiên cứu bất kỳ thời điểm vòng tháng kể từ lần vấn mà không bị phân biệt đối xử Khi rút khỏi việc tham gia nghiên cứu, tồn thơng tin người tham gia nghiên cứu cung cấp xóa, đảm bảo an toàn bảo mật - Các liệu thông tin người tham gia nghiên cứu, bao gồm câu trả lời (dưới dạng văn ghi âm) vấn sử dụng nhằm mục đích nghiên cứu, giữ bảo mật, khơng để lộ với đối tượng khác ngồi người thực nghiên cứu giáo viên hướng dẫn - Mọi thông tin người tham gia nghiên cứu xuất luận văn báo cáo, xuất có liên quan sau đảm bảo ẩn danh, người tham gia xuất dạng tên giả/mã số - Trong thời gian tham gia nghiên cứu, có xảy rủi ro bảo mật thông tin nghiên cứu, người nghiên cứu hoàn toàn chịu trách nhiệm sẵn sàng bồi thường Thông tin liên lạc Xin liên lạc với người thực nghiên cứu thông qua số điện thoại 036 667 8188 (Thuý Hằng) địa email hangtranisme@gmail.com có câu hỏi liên quan đến nghiên cứu, gặp vấn đề trình tham gia nghiên cứu 53 PHIẾU ĐỒNG Ý THAM GIA NGHIÊN CỨU 1/ Tôi xác nhận tơi đọc hiểu rõ tồn nội dung phiếu “Thơng tin nghiên cứu” đính kèm, có thời gian để suy nghĩ thơng tin phiếu, trả lời thắc mắc liên quan (nếu có) cách đầy đủ, thỏa đáng 2/ Tôi hiểu việc tham gia nghiên cứu tơi hồn tồn tự nguyện, tơi có quyền rút khỏi nghiên cứu bất kỳ thời điểm vòng tháng kể từ lần vấn mà không bị phân biệt đối xử Trong trường hợp rút khỏi nghiên cứu, hiểu tồn thơng tin tơi cung cấp xóa cách an tồn bảo mật 3/ Tôi hiểu thông tin cá nhân cung cấp dùng luận văn tốt nghiệp người thực nghiên cứu, báo cáo, xuất có liên quan sau có, giữ tuyệt đối bí mật, khơng để lộ cho đối tượng khác 4/ Tôi hiểu tên thật thông tin cá nhân không xuất luận văn, báo cáo, xuất có liên quan, mà tơi đề cập đến tên giả/mã số 5/ Tôi đồng ý tham gia nghiên cứu Ngày tháng … năm … Ngày tháng … năm … Người thực nghiên cứu Người tham gia nghiên cứu (Chữ ký) (Chữ ký) 54 Appendix 3: Coding scheme Theme 1: The process to get into English programs in specialized high school requires mobilization of forms of capital Category: Learners’ English education’s conditions Code: INFORMAL EDUCATION Code: SUPERIOR QUALITY TO FORMAL EDUCATION Code: PARENTS’ INVOLVEMENT Code: PARENTS’ CONNECTION Category: Learners’ process of English education Code: VALIDATION OF ABILITY Code: SUPPORT SYSTEM Code: COMPETITION Category: Learners’ and their society’s perception of gifted English education Code: A BETTER PLACE Code: AWARENESS OF GAPS IN BACKGROUND Sub-code: RICH - POOR GAP Sub-code: URBAN - RURAL GAP Sub-code: IMPOSSIBLE Theme 2: Opportunities in extracurricular activities and foreign education for gifted English learners Category: Extracurricular activity Code: SOCIAL CONNECTION 55 Code: SELF DISCOVERY Code: LONG-TERM BENEFIT Code: YOUTH Category: Foreign education Code: EXCEPTIONAL PROFILE Code: GIFTED SCHOOLS’ CONNECTION Theme 3: Learners’ academic success is realized through competition Category: National competition of Talented students Code: GIFTED SCHOOLS’ GLORY Code: PRIVILEGE AS A HIGH ACHIEVER Code: REPUTATION AS A HIGH ACHIEVER Category: Learners’ improvement and investment in English Code: DIMENSIONS OF ENGLISH COMPETENCE Sub-code: GRAMMAR Sub-code: SKILLS Code: ASSESSMENT CRITERIA Sub-code: INCOMPATIBLE Sub-code: NARROW Sub-code: SHIFTING Code: EFFORT Sub-Code: WEIGHT OF OUTSIDE EXPECTATIONS Sub-Code: AMBITION 56 Code: INSECURITY Sub-Code: TOP STUDENT AS RIVAL Sub-Code: COMPETITION Sub-Code: COMPARISON Sub-Code: SURPASS OF RANK Sub-Code: FAILURE Code: SACRIFICE Sub-code: ALL-IN Sub-code: ABSENCE FROM REGULAR CLASSES Sub-code: FALLING BEHIND IN UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION PREPARATION Theme 4: Learners’ wellbeing suffers Category: Social disconnect Code: LONER Sub-code: UNWILLINGNESS TO REACH OUT Sub-code: LACK OF MIDDLE SCHOOL FRIENDS Code: INABILITY TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS Sub-code: LANGUAGE BARRIER Sub-code: ABSENCE FROM SOCIAL ACTIVITY Category: Mental health’s decline Code: PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS Sub-code: CRYING Sub-code: STOMACHACHE FROM STRESS 57 Code: DEMOTIVATION Sub-code: MENTAL FATIGUE Sub-code: DEPRESSION Code: EMOTIONAL PAIN Sub-code: NIGHTMARE Sub-code: TRAUMA Sub-code: ANXIETY Sub-code: IMPOSTER SYNDROME 58 ... targeted number of participants is allegedly manageable in light of the time and finance constraint of a bachelor graduation thesis 1.4 Significance of the study The research on the identity construction. .. important part in their academic success as gifted EFL learners, rather than their actual talents alone as assumed by gifted institutions’ supposedly meritocratic policy While gifted EFL learners are... system across remote, rural and urban areas of the country Another criterion was that the participants had acquired outstanding academic achievements before, during, and after their periods in their