Identities of English: Native or National or Global?

Abstract

Identity is a post-structuralist invention as well as search. Learning, knowing, and using English as a second language or an international language, or a global language entails acquisition of new identities. Non-recognition of the same or presence of the clash between old and new identities results in failure to acquire English as a language with or without culture package. The present paper explores if contemporary English language learners and teachers are aware of the different identities they inevitably acquire and how far they affect their roles as facilitators and learners. It was discovered that both teachers and learners were not in fact bothered about either the new identities or the correlation between identities and their performance. In other words, teachers were least bothered about “what English” or “whose English” they were teaching, and learners were least worried about the identities they acquire. It was hypothesized in the study that awareness of linguistic identities by both teachers and learners would boost their confidence and competence.