A narrative case study of Indonesian EFL learners’ identities

Abstract

Much research on identity (re)construction in periphery countries (e.g., Pakistan, Thailand) continues to shed light on how English learners negotiate and construct their identities. This narrative case study explores how two Indonesian learners of English who have been learning English for many years reflect on their journey of identity construction as English learners in their local contexts. Nested in a narrative inquiry methodology, this study examined the participants’ personal stories that were unique, rich and nuanced with the interplay of social, cultural and political dimensions (re)shaping their experiences. The initial phases of identity construction revealed from the participants’ early years indicated that the emergence of identity as English learners was largely marked by a false or negative association of the English language in relation to various aspects of being a school subject leading to a false sense of positive identity. Pedagogical implications of the study are also presented in this article.

Learner Identity Construction of EFL Postgraduate Students: A Narrative Case Study

“…Meanwhile, I shared my experiences which I considered as the significant events in my identity construction in learning English through autobiographical narratives. Wirza [12] argues that individual narratives are one of the most powerful approaches to explore identity construction.…”

“…For students who do not see English being used in their community, they will find it only in the classroom through the school curriculum [12]. Since English in Indonesia is more likely to be taught and learned as foreign language, it can be understood that most English learning and teaching takes place in classroom rather than in everyday communication [13].…”

“…It can be understood that teachers play important role in providing a more active, free learning environment for the students to develop their positive attitudes towards English learning [16]. Students need to have wide exposure to English to be engaged in English discursive activities [12].…”

The Role of Family and School in English Language Learner Identity Construction: An Indonesian Case

“…He further indicated change in learning motivations and beliefs after going through different teacher practices with different parental support for each participant. In Indonesian setting, Wirza (2018) revealed the role of teachers in reshaping the identities of two Indonesian learners. In her study, one participant's identity was challenged when he encountered difficulties in communicating with teachers from Canada and Australia, while another participant who was initially resistant to English became interested in the language thanks to her English private teacher.…”

“I am a Rhetoric Physics Student-Teacher”: Identity Construction of an Indonesian Physics Student-Teacher

“…However, there are a few amounts of studies on teacher professional identity in Indonesian science teachers. Most of the studies on teacher professional identity in Indonesia have been done in the context of teacher and pre-service teacher language education (Astuti, 2016;Gandana & Parr, 2013;Hidayati, 2018;Mambu, 2017;Manara, 2013;Widodo, 2017;Wirza, 2018).…”