Becoming Language Teachers: Exploring Student-teachers’ Identities Construction through Narratives

Abstract

This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative narrative study. Its aim was to analyze what student-teachers’ narratives unveiled about the construction of their identity as language learners, and the connections made with being future in-service teachers. This study, which was carried out with undergraduate students from a public university in Tunja, was the product of permanent interaction and dialogue with student-teachers in their initial teaching experiences. Narratives, in-depth interviews, and journals were used as data collection instruments. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach. The results suggest that student-teachers construct and re-construct their identities as language learners and future teachers across classroom interactions and their empowerment through teaching and reflection

English Language Preservice Teachers’ Identity Construction Within Academic and Other Communities

“…Izadinia found an interplay between mentoring relationships and the development of the professional identity of preservice teachers. Timmerman's and Izadinia's recognition of role models is related to the identifications and disidentifications mentioned by Torres-Cepeda and Ramos-Holguín (2019). Although these studies have focused on identity construction, these views have been constructed from the researchers' perspective and do not acknowledge the identities the preservice teachers identify by themselves as does this study.…”

“…This perspective has shown the confluence of four different factors. Firstly, the efl preservice teachers' previous experiences as learners, identification with teachers they admire and whom they want to emulate, construction, de-construction, and re-construction of their projected identities according to the experiences they live day by day, as well as a commitment to grow personally and professionally (Quintero-Polo, 2016;Torres-Cepeda & Ramos-Holguín, 2019). Secondly, social interactions and experiences within their learning environments that involve professional and personal dimensions (Salinas & Ayala, 2018).…”

“…Most scholars who have studied the lti construction process have concluded that it begins due to an interest in the English language or as a result of rewarding experiences with English in the teachers' educational settings (Archanjo et al, 2019;Sarasa, 2016;Torres-Cepeda & Ramos-Holguín, 2019). Although there are similarities in the findings of this study with these assertions, it was also found that the research collaborators expressed that their interest in becoming language teachers began in their families (their kinship communities) and not necessarily in connection with the language but with larger areas-such as interest in human sciences-or by the desire to change family traditions, as happened with Marcela and Luna.…”

The dynamic process of student-teachers’ construction of identity as future teachers

“…We found a considerable number of attempts to define identity, and authors share a common notion that identity construction is a dynamic, ongoing process (Beijaard et al, 2004;Flores & Day, 2006;Torres & Ramos, 2019), which changes over time due to a range of internal and external factors (Veen & Sleegers, 2006;Flores & Day, 2006). Identity also involves a constantly changing process of interpretation and reinterpretation of day-to-day lived experiences (Kerby, 1991).…”

Dyslexic Individuals’ Narratives on their Process of Becoming English Language Teachers

“…The above leads us to think that if this high interest in special needs occurs in inservice teachers, the same may happen with PELTs who have just entered the educational system as teachers. Some Colombian scholars and researchers have become interested in understanding the PELTs' experiences from a narrative perspective (Castañeda-Trujillo & Aguirre-Hernandez, 2018;Montoya-López, Mosquera-Andrade, & Peláez-Henao, 2020;Torres-Cepeda & Ramos-Holguín, 2019;Ubaque-Casallas & Aguirre-Garzón, 2020). These studies show that becoming an English language teacher involves many processes and experiences that include learning, challenges, and decisions.…”