Pluralism of Identities and Major Preferences of Freshwomen and Sophomore ELT Students

Abstract

This paper discusses the diversity of identities possessed by English Language Teaching (ELT) students, as prospective English language professionals, both in terms of their socio-cultural and linguistic pluralism. In addition, the complexity of the problem of determining majors that are still often encountered in the field will also be part of the discussion in this paper. By using the narrative study method, data were collected by analyzing the results of reflections carried out by the research subjects on how they view themselves as individuals and also members of diverse communities, their experiences before starting their study period as students of English education, what strategies they overcome difficulties during their study, especially since the pandemic until at the present time. Subject selection is done by purposive sampling method. This paper is expected to provide a useful reference for students and lecturers in analyzing needs at the beginning of the study period and helping students solve the problems they experience related to major preferences, with the provision of a good introduction to the identity of prospective ELT professionals. This will support their success in language education that prioritizes respect for the linguistic and cultural diversity of others as an inseparable part of this global and unpredictable era. Furthermore, the idea is expected to give valuable insights for Transformative English Studies.