From my grad reading for this week, I want to submit the following quotation for your consideration.
Norton saw social identity as multiple, contradictory, and dynamic. To obtain the ‘right to speak’ learners need to be able to see themselves as legitimate speakers of the L2, not as defective communicators. They have to be prepared to challenge the subservient social identity that native speakers often thrust upon them and assert the right to communicate.
(Emphasis mine)
Ellis, Rod. Understanding Second Language Acquisition 2nd Edition (Kindle Locations 707-709). OUP.
As a language learner and a language teacher, I find that challenge to be always significant. The non-native speaker of a language can easily have a sense of inferiority and illegitimacy in their speaking, especially if their audience does not demonstrate empathetic, active listening. However, this does not actually mean that their thoughts are less valid or less important to hear. Listen attentively to your non-native friends; speak your L2 with assurance to your native friends.
