Young learners’ portrayals of ‘good English teacher’ identities in South Korea

Abstract

In the climate of shifting language policies and constant influx of native English-speaking teachers to South Korea, the question of what constitutes a “good” language teacher (GLT) arises. To this end, the present study examines how 577 young English learners (K-6th grade) come to demonstrate their understanding of GLT by making use of visual images and written narratives. A social semiotic, multimodal approach to analysis is employed to scrutinize how these textual and visual narratives construct and/or presuppose a certain image of teacher identity and, as a result, display societal ideologies (Jewitt 2009). The findings yield two dimensions with regard to the objects associated with GLTs, an emotional/abstract dimension and a teaching-related dimension, and the differing use of these objects in relation to teacher gender indicating students’ awareness of teacher roles and gender. Moreover, the ways in which learners place themselves in the storied worlds seem to provide evidence for how teacher identity is, in fact, co-constructed with the notion of learner identity. Thus, the study underscores the complex nature of GLT identity construction and further highlights the benefits of using both textual and visual methods to gain better insights into learners’ beliefs about, attitudes towards, and perspectives on teachers, students, and language learning.

Raising awareness of multilingualism as lived – in the context of teaching English as a foreign language

“…Considering the present time: holding beliefs and (re)constructing identities. • Producing a drawing or self-portrait of yourself as a learner of an additional language (or of more than one), to consider the contexts and mediational means involved (including media and other people) and the construction of your identity (Inözü, 2018) • Adding to a human figure (a standard template provided) all the languages that you speak/know, colouring them and giving reasons for their inclusion and placement (Salo & Dufva, 2018) • Producing a picture of all the languages that you speak/know, to figure out your understanding of plurilingual competence, possibly done twice, to note developments in your beliefs over time (Pérez-Peitx et al, 2019) • Producing a picture of an ideal learner of an additional language (or more than one) to consider what is required of a person to master the language(s) (Ahn & West, 2018) • Compiling a set of posters (e.g. making use of clippings from magazines) with titles 'Language X and I', 'Language Y and I', etc., to consider the significance/role of the languages in your life (Pitkänen-Huhta & Rothoni, 2018) • Compiling a three-dimensional identity kit (made of a cardboard box and containing small objects/toys, photos, slogans, etc.)…”

Studies on pre-primary learners of foreign languages, their teachers, and parents: A critical overview of publications between 2000 and 2022

“…Motivation is a key factor in FL learning. Preschoolers’ motivation is based on their positive attitudes to FL (Griva & Sivropoulou, 2009), their FL teacher (Ahn & West, 2018), and they are influenced by their parents and peers (Jin et al, 2016). Children are intrinsically motivated for FL learning.…”