Identity Construction of Reader throughout Otherness Experiences (A case study amongst Iranian students of French literature at University of Tehran, Iran)

To date few studies have reported the effect of lived experiences of otherness throughout reading activity by learners as readers, especially in the field of learning/teaching French as a foreign language. We will concentrate on reading practices of the novel “Fear and trembling” by Amélie Nothomb which Iranian students have done. Once describing the methods of yielding and analyzing of data issued from our research field, we’ll present examples of Iranians student’s discourses having experienced situations of encountering with the other in this novel. Our qualitative methodology is intended to promote understanding of identity construction paths of theses readers using data gathered through classroom observations, student’s texts and interviews. The results of the analysis demonstrate diversity of psycho-affective and sociocultural attitudes of readers facing otherness experiences. Some students have difficulties to understand the text because of their negative perception of the otherness in real life.