Heritage Passions, Heritage Convictions, and the Rooted L2 Self: Music and Gaelic Language Learning in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Abstract

The present research examines the role of music and dance in motivating Gaelic language learning on Cape Breton Island (Canada). The Gaelic language, once thriving in this context, has declined in use but flourishes in both music and dance. This article presents the results of in-depth interviews (60–90 minutes) with 10 accomplished adult musicians and dancers who described in rich detail connections between traditional music and the Gaelic language. The interview texts were analyzed using Leximancer 4.0, text-mining software that performs an automatic analysis by deriving, in a grounded fashion, the key concepts in a text. Semantic and relational co-occurrence information was extracted using artificial intelligence, producing a map of interrelations among concepts. Three interrelated concepts are introduced to describe community-level motivational processes evident in the interviews: Rooted second language (L2) self, heritage passions, and heritage convictions. The rooted L2 self is defined by connections to place and speakers of the language; heritage passions reflect the development of emotional bonds, core values, and strengths; and heritage convictions capture deep-seated beliefs, attitudes, and mindsets. Elements of both Gardner’s notion of integrative motivation and Dörnyei’s L2 self system are evident and are considered within Ushioda’s (2009) person-in-context relational model, emphasizing the connections among learners and contexts.