engleski

ESP teacher identity: the role of language

The broader field of applied linguistics has recognised identity as a key construct in the context of investigating the process of teaching and learning languages. It understands it as a contextually situated and changing sense of self, influenced by a number of factors. Language can be regarded as the most salient marker not only of one’s personal identity, but also of any socially constituted identity. The constitution of identity can occur and can be reflected in language and discourse. Language is, in that respect, recognised as the lens through which teacher identity can be examined (Block, 2013 ; Varghese et al., 2005). However, with the emergence of language teacher identity as a research topic, the issue of English for specific purposes (ESP) teacher identity both globally and in the Croatian context has not been examined sufficiently. This exploratory, qualitative study seeks to partly fill this gap by investigating the identity of one Croatian ESP teacher, as it is reflected in her language use, and the role she attributes to subject-specific language competence and knowledge (Basturkmen, 2019), the latter being discussed as a potential major identity issue in ESP teachers. The data was obtained through a semi-structured interview and submitted to a thematic content analysis as well as to a linguistic analysis. As a result of the analysis, the study identifies those aspects of ESP teaching that are relevant for the development of a professional ESP teacher’s identity in this initial phase. These aspects of ESP teaching arise as themes in the frame of this narrative inquiry study: English teacher identity crisis, disciplinary knowledge awareness, initial (learning-to-teach) strategies, future (possible) identity (related to developing specialist English variety competence). Furthermore, this study explores some central linguistic means and strategies the investigated ESP teacher uses in order to express and negotiate her identity. The established linguistic means are discussed in relation to their methodological adequacy as instruments for the investigation of identity in the ESP teaching context.

ESP teacher identity ; language : narrative analysis ; thematic analysis ; linguistic analysis

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