Learning to Teach: A Discursive Construction of Pre-service EFL Teachers’ Identities

Abstract

AbstractLanguage teacher identity has received considerable attention in the past decade for its crucial roles in improving effective pedagogy and enhancing teacher learning. The literature suggests that teacher identity is displayed and constructed in social interactions when teachers engage with teacher educators, learners, other teachers, administrators, and the broader community. While a large number of studies have been conducted to investigate the multidimensional nature and complexities of in-service teacher professional identity, there is still insufficient knowledge regarding pre-service teachers. In particular, very little is known about how teacher-learners construct and negotiate identities in the process of learning to teach. This chapter addresses this gap by drawing on ‘applied’ conversation analysis to explore the experience of two Chinese student teachers who lived and studied away from home in a socially, culturally and educationally different context. The findings revealed how pre-service teachers negotiate and construct professional identities, including building pedagogical knowledge, exercising agencies and developing confidence and authority. The research contributes to the emerging literature on language teacher identity and has implications for teacher learning and development and effective pedagogy.KeywordsProfessorial identityPre-service teachersClassroom discourseConversation analysisPedagogical knowledge