Translingualism and the formation of identities: A duoethnography of two Korean ELT professionals in higher education

Abstract

English teacher identity research has been often discussed through the lens of native versus nonnative-English-speaking teachers, against which translanguaging is suggested as a counternarrative approach. Utilizing the theoretical and methodological intersection of translingualism and duoethnography, this study illustrates the identity formation of two Korean researchers who seek translingualism. The selected dialogues regarding English language teaching (ELT) issues demonstrate how the authors’ translanguaging instinct and mindset are realized in the context of researching, teaching, using, and probing translinguistic identity. The discussion portrays their realization of identities shuttling between “translinguist” and “translanguager” in individual and collective spaces. The study suggests pedagogical implications for language teachers, teacher educators, and researchers, as well as methodological implications for those considering using duoethnography for exploring translinguistic identity. The study contributes to an emerging discussion on what it means to transform ELT in higher education by acknowledging the translinguistic identity among English language learners, teachers, teacher educators, and researchers.