Foreign Language Learning, Environment, and their Influence on Moslem Teenage Learners’ Identity

¹ English Department, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University, Indonesia
² Islamic Law Department, Sharia and Law Faculty, Walisongo Islamic State University, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: wulandaridwi76@gmail.com

Abstract

This study is aimed at looking at how the environment of foreign language learnings affect the identity formation of the teenage learning them. English and Arabic languge, the language learnt formally by teenage at madrasa, are compared to find out which influences what in learners identity. The study shows that learners see both languages in a positive attitude, though in a different manner. English is seen with pretty much respct of the symbols of modernization, and therefore the learners are more cautious in using them, although some studies report that there is no negative influence of English on learners’ identity. On the other hands, Arabic language is easily view as part of learners’ identity as it is closely related with Islam. Though the learners perceive the language in a quite different manner, the result of their learning aimed at communication show quite similar result, as both processes show the difficulty in enhancing quick achivements.