Discourse and Learner Identity: Representations, Negotiation and Shift in a Saudi EFL Context

Abstract

Identity research, L2 learner identity included, has of late, witnessed an unprecedented surge. Changes in the concepts of 'language" "community", and the "individual" "competence", have all influenced researching identities, leading ultimately to them perceived as "complex", "multi-faceted", "dynamic", "varied", "changing", "fluid", "re/constructed" and "negotiated" phenomena. This study attempts to explore identities in the context of a Saudi Arabian college. In particular, the complexities, idiosyncrasies and potentialities of a group of 8 highachieving EFL learners were thoroughly probed cross a period of four to six years. Instances of manifestations, construction, negotiation, and shift were probed. The mixed data collected and analysed subsumed a variety of observation sheets, semi-structured interviews, and informal talk and some verbal introspections included largely within the body of interviews. Some four nonnative multilingual instructors were likewise interviewed to help enrich the journey into these participants' L2 selves. Findings suggest the existence of subtle ways of construction, manifestation, negotiation and shift among the participants. The discussion reveals interesting instances of L2/self facets, third spaces, idiosyncrasies (self-definition and reflection problems, self-talk, etc.), complex L1-L2 relationship (languaging and reversed transfer supporting Cook's Multicompetence), etc. Empowerment of nonnative multilingual is further suggested in the discussion building on the conversation and interviews with several of them working in the context investigated alongside the data from students.

Researcher/Writer Identity: Exploring Awareness, Manifestations and Implications of EFL Scholars’ and Applied linguists’ Identities

“…The results are in many ways congruent with what has been widely discussed in the literature about identity, agency and voice, the complexities and intricacies of objectivity and subjectivity, the epistemological implications of language functions and discourse markers, the dynamic nature of academic discourse, etc., (e.g. Awadelkarim, 2021;Bhabha , 1994;Bazzzul, 2014;Duranti, 2004;Gee, 2011;Hewings& North, 2010;Hyland, 2002;Olmos-López& Sunderland, 2014;Swales, 2004;Tano, 2019).…”

“…To reduce the influence of traditional pedagogy, we have propounded a process of de/unlearning. The dynamics of this de/unlearning will create the possibility of consciously forgetting and removing ineffective or inadequate learning containing outdated or faulty ideas (Awadelkarim, 2021). This way, researchers become open up to new knowledge and new paradigms.…”

“…This resurge has resonated with a growing interest in many new perspectives into fields such as linguistics, language education, academic discourse, critical education, meta-theories, etc., (Alharbi, 2019;Block, 2007;Bourdieu, 1991;Norton, 2010;Norton &Toohey, 2011;Swales, 1990;Yazan, Canagarajah& Jain, 2020). While learner and researcher identities have been examined in many settings for the last three decades, there is a big gap in our contexts in such kind of research (Awadelkarim, 2021).…”