Identity, possible selves, and imagined communities in Spanish language classroom tasks

Abstract

This study reports on the use of classroom tasks that rely on the notions of ‘possible selves’ (Markus & Nurius, 1986) and ‘imagined communities’ (Anderson, 1991) in both Spanish-as-a-foreign-language and Spanish-as-a-heritage-language classrooms. The tasks provided opportunities for students in these classrooms to share stories, real and imagined, focusing on topics such as family, education, and professional goals in order to connect past and present experiences with future aspirations. In addition, the tasks encouraged students to place themselves in imagined communities in which they interpreted and broadened their sense of identity. Results from each task are analyzed and discussed, with a focus on examining and comparing how foreign language and heritage language students reflect on their past and current identities and envision possible selves.