Language Socialization and Identity Formation of an Ethnic-language-speaking Immigrant Woman from Eastern Bhutan

Using language socialization theory, this study explores the language awareness and identity formation of Ms. C, a 44-year-old migrant from Trashigang, Bhutan. A native Tshangla speaker, she acquired English and Dzongkha through formal education and later became an English-speaking guide in Thimphu. Through retrospective narratives, she reflects on her multilingual journey and its impact on her identity. Since the late 1980s, Bhutan’s Dzongkha-centric national identity policy has shaped her linguistic awareness, often conflicting with her ethnic Tshangla identity. This study highlights the complexities of linguistic identity among migrants in Bhutan’s evolving socio-political landscape.