Decoding The Cultural Identity: A Systemic Functional Approach to Stance Taking in Multicultural Interviews

Abstract

Abstract: This study examines the cultural identity in interviews with the Algerian students enrolled in a PHD exchange program in the UK. The ultimate aim is to figure out how they culturally position theirselves through maintaining, shifting or mixing their identity through studying the stance they take. To this end, a Systemic Functional Grammar framework that aligns itself with the socio-constructivist approach is projected upon the data (passages from the interview) to undertake tick descriptions of the linguistic choices in the interview with the PHD student Ghazouane Arselane about his translation of ‘Borges and the blind’, a novel written by Kilito, a Lebanese novelist. The results have shown that while he embraces the new culture, he also positively comments the culture of origin. His linguistic choices, particularly the use of adverb comments whenever he refers to any culture means that he tries to establish an intimate relationship with the listeners belonging to these cultures. Keywords: Stance; Cultural Identity; Interview; Systemic Grammar; System