Teachers’ Discourse Identities and Learners’ Participation Opportunities in EFL Classroom Interaction : A Conversation Analytic Study

Abstract

Identity has received a surge of theoretical and empirical attention within the past decades. A body of research on teacher identity mainly involved the feelings, beliefs, experiences and emotions of language teachers, which construct their professional identity. However, few studies (Antaki, 2012; Richards, 2006; Zimmerman, 1998) have investigated dynamic identities embodied through talk-in-interaction, and more particularly in EFL contexts. Using conversation analysis (CA) as situated within a socio-cultural approach, this study intended to investigate EFL teachers’ identity as is constructed in classroom interactions. In this regard, using observations and video-recordings, three EFL teachers’ naturally-occurring classroom interactions have been transcribed in detail. Data analyses revealed that teachers and learners construct and display different levels of identity in their talk (Zimmerman, 1998). Nominating the students and entering them in question-answer sequence along with the subsequent questions, learners display their transportable identity. While learners produce transportable identity, they can significantly construct more talk and longer turns which may enhance their learning opportunity.