In contemporary contexts of migration and displacement, language learning is increasingly experienced as a condition of survival rather than a voluntary pursuit. For newcomer learners, acquiring an additional language is inseparable from experiences of cultural dislocation and identity disruption. While second language acquisition (SLA) research has long acknowledged the role of affective factors, comparatively little attention has been paid to how forced language learning reshapes learners’ sense of legitimacy and belonging. Adopting a conceptual approach, this paper examines imposter syndrome as an underexplored affective barrier in contexts of forced language learning. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from SLA, acculturation, and cultural psychology, it argues that self-doubt and perceived illegitimacy are intensified when language learning is an imposed requirement rather than a chosen endeavor. To situate this within broader social contexts, the paper engages with World Values Survey (WVS) evidence to illustrate how structural conditions—such as diminished autonomy and reduced subjective well-being—exacerbate imposter experiences. Rather than a statistical report, these data serve as contextual anchors for a culturally grounded interpretation of affective strain. The paper contributes to cultural studies by reframing language learning as a site of affective negotiation and identity work. It highlights how language operates as a symbolic boundary of belonging, where learners are required to continuously perform competence under conditions of uncertainty and power asymmetry. By foregrounding imposter syndrome as a culturally situated affective response, this study proposes a critical re-examination of how language education practices may either reproduce or alleviate affective exclusion in multicultural societies.

Authors:
Chienhou Lin, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Tsai-Yi Hsu, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Chien Hou Lin is a doctoral student in the Department of Education, College of Education, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. She currently serves as the Director of the Continuing Education Center at Tungnan University.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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