This review synthesizes research on identity formation, intercultural contact, and motivation in second language acquisition (SLA), aligning with Exploring Identity Formation in Language Education. Identity, a dynamic construct shaped by ethnicity, culture, and class, influences learners’ engagement with new languages. Intercultural contact, grounded in Allport’s (1954) contact hypothesis, fosters identity negotiation and linguistic growth through direct and virtual interactions. Motivation, including integrative and instrumental types, drives investment, mediated by imagined communities and the Ideal L2 Self. Personal narratives illuminate these processes, revealing how identity shifts enhance SLA outcomes. Synthesizing psychological, sociolinguistic, and educational literature, this chapter explores theoretical insights, pedagogical applications like CLIL and digital exchanges, and future research directions, emphasizing inclusive, identity- affirming education without new empirical data.
Roshan, A. & Elhami, A. (2026). Navigating New Horizons: Identity Formation, Intercultural Contact, and Second Language Acquisition. In A. Elhami & A. Roshan (Eds.), Exploring Identity Formation in Language Education: Personal Narratives and Educational Research (pp. 1-34). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5423-1.ch001