Voice Construction and Development of a Multilingual Student Writer: A Bakhtinian Perspective

Abstract

The construction and development of a writer’s voice is a concept that continues to be of interest when teaching multilingual writing. Studies of voice construction of multilingual student writers have generally focussed on the linguistic aspects of voice construction, but are relatively limited in demonstrating the ways in which these students negotiate classroom pedagogy to construct and develop an academic voice (Tardy, 2016). Using a Bakhtinian view of voice as dialogic, the current study explores the development of voice construction of one Chinese international student (CIS) called Shan (a pseudonym) and to what extent her voice was shaped by the mediational tools employed in the classroom. I draw on a narrative analysis framework which provides a systematic tool for exploring one student’s voice construction and development when writing an argumentative paper. The analysis of Shan’s narrative illustrates the significant role of classroom pedagogy to the way Shan developed an academic voice. Pedagogical implications of the study are given at the end of the article.