Turkish students' language‐learning perezhivanie, learner identities, and transformation of self

Abstract

This study used the Vygotskian concept of perezhivanie, an emotionally lived experience, to examine the identities of two Turkish language learners. Learner identity has been researched from social and psychological perspectives; however, the role of emotion and its relationship with cognition has not been sufficiently addressed. As a unit of analysis, Perezhivanie offers a holistic approach to examining learners' identities by considering their emotional and cognitive processes in their learning environments. This study reports on a qualitative case study. Data were obtained from Dodo and Uraz's observations while taking an elective course in Global English and Culture, their multiple reflections written throughout the course, and their interviews. The data analysis revealed ontological instances of perezhivaniya (plural) that stemmed from the two participants' emotionally charged, memorable moments. It revealed how these perezhivaniya formed and transformed their identities throughout their language‐learning experience. These results indicate the importance of assisting language learners by introducing them to the new World of Englishes, thus providing new theoretical frameworks that create a fertile environment for identity transformation.