Language Learners’ Historical Bodies Directing their Agency in the Digital Wilds

Abstract

Life histories and prior experiences of language learning, called historical bodies, direct language learners’ agency. However, their influence on agency is often underemphasized in the language-learning context. To develop practices that facilitate foreign language learners’ agency beyond the classroom, I present the case of American university-level Finnish learners’ reflections on their language use in the digital wilds, where they used different digital applications not designed for language learning. The data came from a portfolio assignment in which students documented and reflected on their independent language use. The study drew on nexus analysis, and discourse analysis was used to examine the reflections. The findings show that historical bodies directed what resources students used as learning material, what elements they oriented to as learning projects, and how they oriented themselves to future actions. Understanding the impact of historical bodies is important in shaping inclusive classroom practices that consider students’ agency and individuality.