A Compromise between Global and Local: Glocal Identity and Its Effects on Pragmatic Development

Abstract

ABSTRACT The concept of glocal identity has captured researchers’ imagination particularly in the last two decades and has been examined in relation with language learning. However, no study has yet touched upon pragmatic development in the target language under the effects of glocal identity. This longitudinal case study examined the development of glocal identity and its effects on students’ target language pragmatic development. The participants were ten international students receiving preparatory education at a Turkish Teaching Center. The data were collected through instructor’s and researcher’s unstructured observation notes, participants’ self-reflection notes and their answers to open-ended questions. The results of the conventional content analysis indicated that the participants experienced increasing awareness of their local identities, adapted to their global identities and formed a glocal identity during their language learning experience. They also went through a three-stage pragmatic development during which reflections of their glocal identities were observed.