Discourses, Identities and Investment in Foreign Language Learning

Jennifer Martyn’s book offers a valuable insight into the reality of bi- and multilingualism in a predominantly anglophone country. The Irish experience is deftly extrapolated and used as a starting point for an in-depth reflection on discourses around investment in foreign language learning. Indeed, the author’s discussion of identities, power relations, and commodification of language and education is relevant to anyone involved in promoting and supporting multi- and plurilingualism. * Susanna Nocchi, TU Dublin, Ireland *
This book offers a rare and valuable insight into secondary school students’ perceptions, experiences, and practices of foreign language learning. It sheds light on the dynamics of implicit factors underlying the construct of their learner identities. Bringing together the global and local, the theoretical and empirical, the book will appeal to practitioners, educators, researchers, and other key stakeholders in foreign language education policy. * Marie-Thérèse Batardière, University of Limerick, Ireland *
This ambitious book offers rich insights into discourses of gender and language learning in an Irish secondary school context. Additionally, its exploration of central concepts in contemporary SLA research, such as identity, linguistic investment and elite multilingualism, make it a valuable resource for language scholars, educators and policymakers alike. * Jennifer Bruen, Dublin City University, Ireland *

With many commendable features, the book makes an important contribution to the field. Its clear and expert exposition greatly facilitates the reader’s understanding of its content, and it thus lends itself to use in various courses and at various levels [...] Its innovative case-study approach will be of interest to all those involved in language education.

* Martin Howard, University College Cork, Ireland, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 2023 *