English language learners voices: exploring identity construction through life stories

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(1)Running Head: IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. English Language Learners Voices: Exploring Identity Construction through Life Stories. Ruth Stella Ávila Gutiérrez Katherin Paola Villamil Fajardo. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas Facultad de Ciencias y Educación Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés Bogotá D.C 2018.

(2) 2. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. English Language Learners Voices: Exploring Identity Construction through Life Stories. Ruth Stella Ávila Gutiérrez Katherin Paola Villamil Fajardo Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. MONOGRAPH ADVISOR: Julia Posada. A monograph submitted as a requirement to obtain the degree as Bachelor in Basic Education with Emphasis in English. Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas Facultad de Ciencias y Educación Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés Bogotá D.C 2018.

(3) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Note of acceptance. _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________. Monograph Advisor. __________________________________. Juror. __________________________________. 3.

(4) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Acuerdo 19 de 1988 del Consejo Superior Universitario Artículo 1771: “La Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas no será responsable por las ideas expuestas en este trabajo”. 4.

(5) 5. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Acknowledgements. I want to dedicate this research project to the people who directly and indirectly gave me the necessary strength and support to accomplish this thesis, despite all adversities. To begin with, I want to thank our tutor Julia Posada for her direction, patience, commitment and devotion during the development of this paper. Likewise, I wish to express all my gratitude to our participants, because their collaboration, honesty and kindness allowed us to successfully finish this monograph. I also want to thank to my dear Juan Carlos González for all his love, company, guidance and encouragement.. I am also thankful to my partner Katherin Villamil for all the laughs, tears, support and friendship that we shared over these years. Finally, I want to thank my family, especially my mom who has always been with me, and my dad who has showed me that conviction and effort are necessary to achieve any dreams and goals. Ruth Stella Ávila..

(6) 6. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Acknowledgements. First, I give thanks to God for the strength and ability to complete this proposal. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Julia Posada, for her continuous support, patience, motivation, and immense knowledge. Her guidance helped us make this project possible.. Besides my advisor, I want to thank my family. To my father for having been in the happiest moments of my life, being my counselor and forever my great love. To my mother, my friend and companion, for always being with me, for her love and unconditional support. I am also deeply thankful to Ruth Ávila for being an excellent partner and friend. And last but not least, to the participants whose effort and time greatly contributed to this project.. Katherin Paola Villamil..

(7) 7. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Abstract. Identity is an inherent element in the conformation of a person, which is constructed intimately and almost imperceptibly across time and space, providing recognition of oneself. In this construction different experiences converge, that can be only known from the history of each person. Therefore, this paper aims at understanding how ELPTS construct their identity as learners of English, by implementing a qualitative case study. The participants are students from first to fifth semester of the Bachelor’s Degree in Basic Education with Emphasis in English at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. The instruments used in the data collection are autobiographical narratives and group interviews. The findings showed that factors like experiences in the educational field, language perceptions and the relationship with teachers and peers influence the construction of the identity of English language learners. It is also found that through the construction of the identity as learners, students search for tools to confront the learning process by investing time and resources for the enhancement of their language skills.. Keywords: Identity, identity construction, ideal self, English language preservice teachers (ELPTS), investment, code switching..

(8) 8. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. Resumen. La identidad es un elemento inherente en la conformación de una persona, la cual se construye de forma íntima y casi de forma imperceptible a lo largo del tiempo y espacio, otorgando un reconocimiento de sí mismo. En dicha construcción convergen diferentes experiencias que solo se conocen a partir de la historia de cada persona. Por lo tanto, esta tesis tiene como objetivo entender la forma en la que los docentes en formación construyen su identidad como aprendices del inglés, implementando un estudio de caso cualitativo. Los participantes son estudiantes de primero a quinto semestre de la Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés de la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas. Los instrumentos que se utilizaron en la recolección de datos fueron narrativas autobiográficas y entrevistas grupales. Los hallazgos mostraron que factores como las experiencias en el ámbito educativo, las prácticas docentes, las percepciones del lenguaje y la relación con los profesores y pares inciden en la construcción de la identidad de los aprendices de inglés. Asimismo, se encontró que a través de la construcción de su identidad como aprendices, los docentes en formación buscan formas de enfrentar su proceso de aprendizaje invirtiendo tiempo y recursos en el mejoramiento de sus habilidades en el idioma.. Palabras clave: identidad, construcción de la identidad, “yo” ideal, profesores de inglés en formación, inversión, cambio de código lingüístico..

(9) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 9. Table of Contents Chapter One …………………………………………………………………............. 11. Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………. 11. Statement of the Problem ……………………………………………………………. 13. Research Question ………………………………………………………………. 17. Research Objectives …………………………………………………………….. 17. Justification ……………………………………………………………………………. 18. Chapter Two …………………………………………………………………............ 20. Theoretical Framework …………………………………………..…………..………. 20. What is identity?.............................................................................................. 20. Language and Learners Identity ………………………………………..………. 23. Investment and Motivation in Language Learning ………………………….... 25. Identity Positions …………………………………………………………………. 28. Translanguaging …………………………………………………………………. 31. Code-switching ………………………………………………………………….... 33. Learning and Identity ……………………………………………………............. 35. Chapter Three ………………………………………………………………………... 39. Research Design ……………………………………………………………………... 39. Research Paradigm ………………………………………………………………. 39. Type of Research …………………………………………………………………. 39. Setting …………………………………………………………………………….... 40. Participants ………………………………………………………………………... 41. Selection of Participants ………………………………………………………….. 42. Data Collection Technique and Instruments ……….……………………….….. 43. Unit of Analysis …………………………………………………………………….. 46. Validity and Reliability ……………………………...……………………………... 46.

(10) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 10. Chapter Four …………………………………………………………………………. 50. Data Analysis …………………………………………………………………………. 50. Process of Data Collection ………………………………………………………….. 50. Findings ……………………………………………………………………………….. 55. Imagined English Teacher: the construction of the self ……………………... 55. Learners and English: The ambivalent desire to learn and practice ………... 61. Practicing English: Identity and the use of the language ……………………... 67. Conclusions …………………………………………………………………............. 81. Pedagogical implications …………………………………………………............. 84. References ………………………………………………………………………….... 88. Annexes ……………………………………………………………………………..... 94. Consent Forms ……………………………………………………………………….. 94. Example of the Consent Forms …………………………………………………….. 97. Narratives and interviews Guideline ……………………………………………….. 100. Example of the Narratives …………………………………………………………... 101. Extract of interviews Transcription …………………………………………............ 106. Questionnaire for the Statement of the Problem ………………………………….. 111. Example of the Questionnaire for the Statement of the Problem ……………….. 112. Tables ……………………………………………………………………………….... 109. Table # 1 ………………………………………………………………………... 109. Table # 2 ………………………………………………………………………... 109. Table # 3 ………………………………………………………………………... 109.

(11) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 11. Chapter One Introduction. We realized from our experience as language learners, that the identities we developed during the LEBEI program represented certain guiding principles in our learning process. Such identities were constructed unconsciously, therefore we did not notice how these identities were developed nor did we measure their impact on our academic life, our performance or our outcomes. Consequently, we decided to conduct a study to reveal how English language preservice teachers of LEBEI, currently at ciclo de fundamentación (fundamentation cycle), construct their identities as language learners.. In our opinion, it is important to understand the construction of such identities because as learners, we most of the time did not realize how it occurred neither did we understand its relevance on our actions and thoughts. Nevertheless, we are certain that our background and all the experiences we lived as university students exert a great deal of influence on our identity as language learners. Hence the importance of this study in disclosing how English language preservice teachers develop their identities as learners, regarding their background, their experiences and their thoughts in the LEBEI program.. For the purpose of this paper, we decided to carry out a qualitative case study considering some English language preservice teachers (- ELPTS hence for) from first to fifth semester at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas,.

(12) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 12. in the program Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés (Bachelor’s Degree in Basic Education with emphasis in English or its acronym in Spanish: LEBEI). Written narratives and interviews were selected as our research instruments to collect data related to the learners experiences in learning English.. We expect the impact of this study to be in the description of how ELPTS reflect on how they have constructed their identities as language learners, regarding the elements that have influenced such construction, while becoming aware of its importance on their learning performance and outcomes. The academic community may take into consideration the relevance of LEBEI students’ identities on the development of classes, in order to enrich classroom dynamics where the content can be accompanied by the perceptions and identities of learners, generating more significant learning experiences.. This study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter presents a description of the motivation behind our research interest and a general contextualization. The second chapter contains the literature review where the reader is introduced to the authors, definitions and concepts that helped shape this research project. Chapter number three corresponds to the research design, which describes how the study was developed and outlines relevant features like the type of research, setting, population, the unit of analysis, data collection instruments and the characteristics for validity and reliability. Finally, in chapter four we deliver our data analysis, findings and conclusions..

(13) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 13. Statement of the Problem. This study started as a search for the aspects that determine the learning process of ELPTS at the LEBEI program. In this searching, we began by reflecting on our own experiences at the university finding an interesting issue, which in our perception, becomes relevant in the learners’ academic life: the construction of language learners identity.. The identities that ELPTS construct as language learners are dynamic, unique and complex according to their background, experiences, emotions and expectations related to learning English. Such identities are expressed intrinsically on their attitudes, thoughts, feelings and perspectives regarding the English language. However, these aspects do not provide enough information on how learners construct their identities nor its relevance for the students’ academic life, their performance and outcomes during the learning process. Therefore, our interest in carrying out a study to find out how ELPTS at the LEBEI program construct their identity as learners of a foreign language.. Searching for a better understanding of the construction of learners’ identity, we decided to apply a questionnaire to some ELPTS of the LEBEI program, focusing our attention on their experiences while learning English. This questionnaire was centered on three aspects: their previous contacts with the language, perceptions of the learners about the language and their feelings towards language learning..

(14) 14. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. We found that most of the ELPTS had their initial approach to the English language during their childhood in similar settings. As children, most of them perceived English as a difficult but interesting subject to learn, because it helped them expand their vocabulary and understand the world in another language. “Desde el colegio el inglés me llamo la atención debido a que se encontraba demasiada información en inglés y pues me sentía perdido, así que era como una necesidad para poder entender textos. El inglés en ocasiones me ha parecido un poco complicado ya que es una lengua distinta”. (Participante anónimo. Tercer semestre) "From school the English language caught my attention because I found too much information in English, and I felt lost. Hence, English was like a need to understand texts. English sometimes can be a little bit complicated for me because it is a different language". (Anonymous participant. Third semester). “Desde la etapa escolar tomé gusto por el inglés como la otra forma de expresar mis pensamientos hacia otras personas pertenecientes a otras culturas” (Participante anónimo. Tercer semestre) "From school I liked English because it was other way to express my thoughts in front of other people from other cultures" (Anonymous participant. Third semester). “Desde el colegio me acerqué al inglés y lo percibí como una herramienta que podría ampliar horizontes”. (Participante anónimo. Segundo semestre). "From school I liked English and I perceived it as a tool that could expand my horizons". (Anonymous participant. Second semester). Likewise, we found that some ELPTS up to the present, perceive English as a great challenge. This makes them feel comfortable and motivated on account of their learning environment and teachers’ assistance, a circumstance that has helped them work on their abilities and weaknesses. On the other hand, there.

(15) 15. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. are students that conceive English as a complicated subject to learn because in the classes they feel lost, insecure, uncomfortable and dissatisfied with their own learning process and educational reality. Some ELPTS also mentioned that it is necessary to have passion, enthusiasm, confidence, motivation, discipline and constant practice to learn a foreign language, as well as the theoretical statements and the pertinent guidance of an educator, in order to overcome their weaknesses and reinforce their abilities. “Me he sentido bien en mi proceso de aprendizaje, aunque a veces se torna difícil, el apoyo de los docentes ha sido de gran motivación”. (Participante anónimo. Segundo semestre). "I have felt good in my learning process, although sometimes it becomes difficult, the support of my teachers has been a great motivation” (Anonymous participant. Second semester). “No podría describir mi proceso de aprendizaje de forma concreta debido a que he presentado altas y bajas, asimismo he pasado por profesores que han enseñado muy bien y otros que no tanto”. (Participante anónimo. Segundo semestre). “I cannot describe my learning process in a concrete form because I have experienced ups and downs, and also, I have had teachers who have taught very well and others who have not”. (Anonymous participant. Second semester). “No niego que aprender una lengua extranjera es al principio complicado pero con dedicación, pasión y voluntad se hace más ameno y divertido aprender, además los docentes y las clases han sido buenas pues son muy didácticas”. (Participante anónimo. Tercer semestre). “I do not deny that at the beginning, learning a foreign language is complicated, but with dedication, passion and will, it becomes more enjoyable and funny to learn. Besides, teachers have been good and the classes are very didactic”. (Anonymous participant. Second semester).

(16) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 16. In general, this questionnaire helped us comprehend that, certainly, each student is unique. This is why it is difficult to recognize their identities in a direct way. It is necessary to take into account their voices and look into their learning stories, experiences and reflections to find out who they really are, by allowing them to recognize their invaluable learning identities and how such identities are constructed. As a consequence, the intention of our study is to look into the experiences and stories of some ELPTS at ciclo de fundamentación, in order to reveal and understand how they construct their identity as learners, identifying the issues that determine their perceptions, performance and outcomes in their learning process.. With all this in mind, we present the research questions and objectives that outline our intention in this study:.

(17) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 17. Research Question: How do English language preservice teachers construct their identities as language learners?. Objectives: ● To reveal how English language preservice teachers construct their identity as learners of a foreign language. ● To expose the elements that intervene in the identity construction of English language preservice teachers. ● To understand the connection between the identity construction English language preservice teachers and their learning process..

(18) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 18. Justification. Identity has acquired an enormous research interest. In various fields, many researchers have focused their studies on identity as an essential factor in the communicative interaction, as it reveals what we are and how we are through communication. Nevertheless, in the educational field identity has not been given relevance as an indispensable aspect in the process of learning a foreign language. (Taylor et al., 2013).. We experienced this situation as ELPTS. Since the beginning of the program, we felt that the most important was fulfilling the requirements of each subject as well as satisfying the expectations that other people had of us, without reflecting on ourselves. The construction of our identity as language learners was an aspect that we overlooked most of the time, and for that reason, our learning experiences turned out to be more difficult than we expected, both academically and personally. We never reflected on how our identity was being constructed around learning English or on the effects of each experience on our learning process. Nowadays, we recognize this aspect and realize its relevance. Had we embraced our identity as learners, perhaps our experiences and duties in the university would have been more meaningful and easy to perform.. Considering this, we firmly believe that the present study can contribute in several aspects to each one of the persons involved in its development. In our.

(19) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 19. case as researchers, it has certainly helped us clarify our understanding of identity and recognize how it is constructed and what aspects contribute to the construction of our identities as language learners.. For our participants, this project can allow them to reflect on their learning process, perceiving their own identities as language learners, an issue that in the future can guide them to change, consolidate or improve their performance. They can also embrace the positive aspects of their identity as learners and overcome obstacles in their learning process by uncovering their abilities, actions and expectations.. Finally, this study can also allow the academic community to recognize what is involved in the construction of learner’s identity, recognizing students as human beings with different experiences, stories, feelings, skills and expectations related to language learning. From all this, educators could develop more strategies to enhance the learning experience, keeping in mind not only the class content and objectives but also the issues mentioned above. As a consequence, learners and teachers can establish a dialogical relation in order to develop a better relationship, to overcome difficulties and to enhance their performance and outcomes..

(20) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 20. Chapter Two Theoretical Framework. In this chapter, we wanted to clarify the concept of identity on account of its relevance on the educational field, and specifically on the development of the learners. We began by outlining some general concepts of identity from three different disciplines and then, we presented our own understanding on identity. Finally, we explained how identity is addressed in the classroom scenario and its connection with the English language, the students’ investment, identity positions, translanguaging and code switching concluding with an explanation of the identity construction towards language learning.. What is identity? Identity as a concept and phenomenon has been addressed in different forms and from several fields, with multiple results. Its exploration can be considered interdisciplinary because each perspective has contributed to the development of its study. To illustrate this point, we decided to present a brief explanation of what is perceived as identity in the psychological, psychosocial and sociocultural fields.. In the psychological field, identity has been mostly assumed as an internal construction where the external world does not have a primary role or impact, more specifically, identity is conceived as something located in the mind of each person (Wernereich, 1986). Accordingly, it is understood that individuals, based.

(21) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 21. on their identities, are able to establish, adjust, or reaffirm their reality. It is also implicit that such identities are continuous and linear involving fixed and regular stages of human life as past, present, and future (Horowitz, 2012).. By avoiding the influence of the external world, the mentioned perspective not only presented a limited view of identity but also discarded important aspects such as society, culture, and economics, among others, that are relevant to the formation of the identity of an individual. Consequently, an alternate line of psychology responded by trying to understand identity involving the aspects mentioned above: social-psychology.. In social-psychology, identity has been defined as the set of distinctive features such as beliefs, qualities, personality, appearance and expressions that make a person (Paul, 2015). Each person defines his or her identity from its own recognition based on personal values, attributes and social context (Tajfel, 1981). Then, identity is conceived as a concept constructed dynamically according to the circumstances and stages that people face during their lives. Issues that are defined through normative crises, or in other words, crucial situations that human beings confront for the development of their identity. (Erikson, 1980).. The previous understanding of identity is not disconnected from what it is defined in the sociocultural field. In such perspective, authors as Hogg and Abrams (1988), and Wendt (1992) conceived identity as a group of concepts.

(22) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 22. that define a person and emerge "on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, language, and culture" (Deng 1995, cited by Fearon 1999. Pg, 04). These concepts in turn are revealed by how each person relates and positionates with others to achieve a target role within society (Wendt, 1994. Pg, 395). To expand this understanding, Taylor (2013. Pg, 03) declared that “the notion of identity is understood to mean the aggregate of a person's self-beliefs, which may be private or public and may differ from one relational context to another”. In this definition the author stated that identity is a personal construction where converge our beliefs, attitudes and the relational context. A context comprised of all the people we are in contact with: family, close friends, classmates and teachers.. Norton (2000), declared that identity should be always understood in relational terms: a set of relationships and positions. In other words, relations become an important matter in the identity construction, and according to their nature, we assume different outlooks, positions and attitudes. Therefore, it can be inferred that individuals do not hold a unique identity, since it changes on account of the circumstances and proximity in such relationships.. Likewise, Norton (2000 cited by Rottava and Da Silva 2014. Pg, 173) mentioned that identity is “a sociocultural constructed notion as it indicates the ways an individual understands his or her relation with the world, in time and space, and in terms of future possibilities”. Accordingly, identity is a personal.

(23) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 23. construction that depends on the opportunities, experiences and relations that each person establishes with the context and with the individuals that conform it.. Based on the previous definitions, we concluded that the sociocultural perspective adjusts better to the purpose of our study, given it conceives identity as a dynamic, intangible and personal construction. Identity occurs throughout our lives depending on reality, possibilities, experiences and core beliefs (Kramsh, 1993; Falsifi, 2010), and it is expressed through actions and attitudes in each scenario intending to express ourselves.. We consider that learning identity is developed under similar circumstances according to each student personal insights, previous experiences, purposes and opportunities. It is mediated by the experiences in the educational field, the institutions or programs philosophy, and the intention to timely complete the academic schedule. Another important factor for ELPTS is language itself, which influences the learning identity development.. Language and Learners Identity Identity is the result of our relation with the world in which our personal beliefs, expectations and experiences are also present. In this construction, language becomes a crucial element because it is the source that allows the definition of an identity. At this point, Ochs (2008) mentioned that language is.

(24) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 24. not only a linguistic system but a vehicle that allows the expressing of the self. In other words, language gives the opportunity to express ideas, thoughts and our sense of self in order to find a place in our reality.. Weedon (1997. Pg 21) also proposed that “language is a place where actual and possible forms of social organization are developed. Yet it is also the place where our sense of ourselves, our subjectivity is constructed”. Both authors conceived language not only as signs, but as the key point in the social development of an individual, which provides the opportunity to express a sense of self allowing the construction of different positions that compose the identity.. In order to complement the previous definitions, Norton (2000. Pg, 04) argued that “language is not a neutral medium of communication, but it is a social practice in which experiences are organized and identities negotiated”. From this, we inferred that it is through language that people communicate or express themselves but also negotiate, renegotiate and confirm aspects of their identity, in which experiences and relationships are fundamental. Language works as a filter to define the different positions that individuals acquire regarding their reality, goals and expectations.. We also inferred that learners implicitly establish a relation with language, a relation based on their experiences and perceptions of it. Accordingly, learners can develop different attitudes towards language, being motivated or unmotivated to learn the target language. In order to discuss such relation, it is.

(25) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 25. important to understand the concept of investment.. Investment and Motivation in Language Learning The concept of investment is closely related to the concept of motivation. In fact, the concept of investment has been used to strengthen how we understand motivation, which is a complex and dynamic element that changes and varies in any moment during our lives (Dörnyei, 2005). Given its complexity, the concept of motivation has been difficult to define and describe, nevertheless authors like Gardner (1985) presented it as a set of efforts and desires to achieve the learning goals and attitudes that provide behavioral empowerment towards the learning process.. In order to better understand the concept of motivation, four dimensions of motivation have been specified: the goal, the behavioral effort to reach the goal, the desire to achieve the goal and the attitudes toward the goal (Gardner, 1985 in Dörnyei 2010). Based on such dimensions, motivation can be further divided into integrative and instrumental. Integrative motivation refers to the intention of learning the language itself, whereas instrumental motivation has a functional purpose for learning the target language; e.g. traveling or a job requirement.. Regarding such distinctions, Norton (2013. Pg, 50) mentioned that motivation remains a construct with a psychological quantitative orientation that “is used to quantify a learners commitment to learning the target language”. However, it is important to mention that is not productive to classify students as.

(26) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 26. motivated or unmotivated, since higher or lower levels of motivation do not necessarily convert into abundance or lack of enthusiasm to learn, neither into successful or poor language learning processes. In other words, ELPTS can be very motivated towards their learning process and still not achieve the results they desire and vice versa.. To understand such situation, it is important to keep in mind the relationship that English learners establish with the target language, a relation that has been summarized in one word: investment. Norton (2000. Pg, 10) declared that “the construct of investment signals the socially and historically constructed relationship of learners to the target language and their often ambivalent desire to learn and practice it”. Therefore, the relationship with language depends on various factors, like the learners’ needs, desires, goals and interests to learn the target language. Such factors may have different priorities, varying from one student to another, depending on their disposition towards the language and their own identity.. In relation to this, Dornyei (in Norton, 2013. Pg, 420) proposed that “there is a connection between the learners desire and commitment to learn a language, and their changing identity”. In other words, how much students are invested in their language learning process will be reflected on their effort and compromise to learn the target language, based on the aspects that conform their identity. An identity that is complex, dynamic and multifaceted..

(27) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 27. As a result, investment can be described as the amount of interest each student devotes to their learning process in relation to the aspects that conform their identity. Or to put it more clearly, investment is what learners do to learn the target language, by still keeping their sense of self and future goals, and without denoting their level of motivation or demotivation. As Norton (2001. Pg, 421) proposed “a learner may be a highly motivated language learner, but may nevertheless have little investment in the language practices of a given classroom or community being positioned as poor or unmotivated” and vice versa.. Consequently, Norton (2013) suggested that learners invest or not in the target language based on their desires and expectations to acquire symbolic resources such as language itself, education or a linguistic community; and also material resources like money, real state or capital goods. Accordingly, learners sense of themselves, as well as their expectations for the future and their imagined identities, are evaluated, confirmed or changed from time to time along their learning process.. In connection, Norton (2013. Pg, 04) also declared that ”investment conceives the learner as having a complex social history and multiple desires, learners not only exchange information but they organize a sense of who they are and how they relate with the social world”. Thus, Norton denoted the relationship that students establish with language, not only to express or communicate, but also to understand and feel language, to constitute their.

(28) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 28. social interactions and to develop an identity around their experiences, ambitions and sense of self.. Identity Positions The learning of a foreign language mediates how learners construct their identity, not only as individuals but as learners. All the experiences, expectations and goals related to the target language, as well as their classmates and educators, work as filters that impact such identity development, and therefore their academic process. As Pierce (1995. Pg, 13) stated, “it is through language that a person negotiates a sense of self within and across a range of sites at different points in time, and it is through language that a person gains access to, or is denied, access to powerful social networks that give learners the opportunity to express”.. These social networks are constructed through language, and represent the relationships that learners establish during their academic lives, with their classmates, teachers or the institution. The power relations inside these relationships can have a negative impact, like lack of confidence, or positive as self-confidence. Considering such power relations, learners develop different identity positions to confront the situations that surround their academic life (Norton, 2013).. Regarding these identity positions learners can be defined as introverted,.

(29) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 29. silence, unmotivated or extroverted, talkative and motivated. Norton (2000), declared that these words are affective factors that categorize students in one direction without reflecting their real identity and also limiting their capacities. It is important to take into consideration that such affective factors can coexist simultaneously in contradictory forms in a single student changing over time and space according to personal and social circumstances.. Consequently, Norton (2013. Pg, 414) also declared that “some identity positions may limit and constrain opportunities for learners to speak, read or write, other identity positions may offer an enhanced set of possibilities for social interaction and human agency”. Thus, the identity positions of students can have a strong impact on their learning process, by modifying their relational context, beliefs, opportunities and possibilities along the way.. Based on the nature of said relational contexts, beliefs, opportunities and possibilities, learners take different identity positions to confront the challenges, benefits and difficulties of interacting with the target language and the classroom context. To illustrate this situation, Lee (2008 cited by Norton, 2009) mentioned that students can create superior or subordinate identities promoting or limiting, in some occasions, their access not only to language learning opportunities, but to more powerful identities.. In order to better understand how the identity positions of the learners can be constructed, Taylor, Busse, Gagova, Marsden and Roosken (2013. Pg 05).

(30) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 30. proposed that the identity of the learners is “a composite notion characterized by two self-dimensions: possible-actual and internal-external, resulting in four components of the self-system”: ●. Private self: (actual, internal). A person's intimate representation of his/her present attributes which may or not transpire socially.. ●. Public selves: (actual, external). Various social representations that a person may display depending on the relational context and audience.. ●. Ideal self: (possible, internal). Personal representation of what somebody would like to be in the future, irrespective of other people's desires and expectations.. ●. Imposed selves: (possible and external). Representations of other people’s hopes, desires and expectations of what an individual should achieve. The number of such representations depends on the number of social relational contexts in which the individual functions.. Likewise, Taylor, Busse, Gagova, Marsden and Roosken (2013) mentioned that there is strong support for the hypothesis that these four self-components can be grouped into one of the following main configurations at a given time in a given relational context: ●. Submissive: a strong imposed self generates responses against the ideal self (a student always doing what they are told despite having different intentions).. ●. Duplicitous: a different ideal and imposed self generates parallel responses (a student pretending to be very interested in an academic subject but actually putting in as little effort as possible and following their.

(31) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 31. own alternative agenda). ●. Rebellious: a strong ideal self generates responses against the imposed self (a student who feels strong peer pressure to be “one of the gang” but follows their own goal of studying for academic improvement).. ●. Harmonious: convergent ideal and imposed selves generate congruent responses (a student who works to become a journalist and is strongly encouraged by their family).. Taylor, Busse, Gagova, Marsden and Roosken (2013) also argued that students establish different identity positions because they feel the pressure to respond to contradictory social expectations which come from different social relational contexts (family, teachers, friends). Therefore, students display the identity that serves them best in their various social interactions. In other words, they develop different forms to express their sense of self, in order to achieve personal goals and upcoming expectations. As Norton (2013. Pg, 04) declared: “identity references how a person understands his or her relationship to the world, how that relationship is constructed across time and space, and how the person understands possibilities for the future”.. Translanguaging. Translanguaging refers to “a discursive practice in which bilinguals engage to make sense of their bilingual worlds” (Garcia, 2009 cited by Sayer, 2013. Pg, 68). In other words, it is the use of all the language repertoire that individuals.

(32) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 32. have, both in their mother language and in their second language, in order to construct meaning.. García (2009) mentioned that in translanguaging the performing of different language features maximizes the communicative potential. Likewise, she premised translanguaging as "an approach to bilingualism that is centered not on languages as has been the case, but on the practices of bilinguals that are readily observable” (García, 2009. Pg, 05). This emphasized that translanguaging is more about the act of communication rather than language itself, placing relevance in understanding the message instead of the perfect use of the target language.. Now, in relation to identity, translanguaging allows individuals to construct their identities by making emerge from them an internal and unique repertoire used to negotiate meanings, reinforce understandings and increase knowledge (Garcia, 2009). Likewise, the use of all available linguistic resources to construct meaning, enables the creation of spaces where social and cultural meanings and identity positions emerge. A relevant example of this phenomenon was observed in a primary school in Texas. A researcher noticed that every time students used English words in Spanish conversations, it was in order to construct a complete meaning of something that was not clear for them (Sayer, 2013). For instance, it was necessary to use the word in English ‘Bowl’ to clarify what the teacher referred as “plato hondo” (Sayer, 2013. Pg, 64)..

(33) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 33. Translanguaging is also defined as a learning practice that builds on fluent language practices and allows to simultaneously understand both languages. For instance, a student can read in one language and write about it in a different one, or the student can listen in one language and speak in another.. Code-switching. This concept refers to an alternation or change of languages that occurs during bilingual conversations in which participants have at least one language in common (Garcia and Wei, 2009 cited in Molina & Samuelson, 2016). According to Becker (2001) code switching can be manifested intrasententially and intersententially. The former involves the use of both languages within the same sentence, whereas the latter involves the alternate use of different languages from one sentence to the next.. Code-switching can emerge in different social dimensions, depending on the relationship between the audience, the context, the speaker and the purpose of communication (Crystal, 1987). Fishman (in Velazquez, 2010) proposed other three aspects that can affect the code choice: group membership, situation and topic. In order to clarify, the linguistic choices can be affected by group membership, when the speakers base their use of a certain language depending on the people they are talking to. The situation factor depends mainly on power relationships. Therefore, the language selection can be influenced by teachers, family members or peers. Lastly, the topic alludes to the preference of the speakers for a linguistic system when addressing certain.

(34) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 34. topics in conversation. In this case, the choice of language relies on the fact that certain topics are somehow handled better in one language than in another.. Now, code-switching can occur in different situations. For example, it can happen when the speakers want to show solidarity with a social group; to distinguish oneself from other social classes as a sign of education and competence in more than one language; to participate in social encounters; to discuss a certain topic, to express emotions, to impress and persuade the audience and to supply a deficiency in communication (Crystal, 1987).. The aspects mentioned before, reflect the fact that code-switching carries with it certain social meaning, since “it reinforces social factors such as identity, social positions and interpersonal relationships” (Kieswetter, 1995. In Strauss, 2016. Pg, 12). In other words, when speakers decide to code-switch, they perform or expose their identities, which are framed by culture, social norms, academic environments, expectations and language ideologies (Sayer, 2013).. In relation to the context, the population and the problem of this study, we consider that code-switching is the concept that shows the highest degree of correlation. Finally, we kept in mind that inside the context surrounding our study population, the mother language and the target language are not spoken simultaneously, but rather alternate according to the space, people and circumstances which is very characteristic of code-switching (Crystal, 1987). However, it should be clarified that both concepts, ‘translanguaging’ and ‘codeswitching’, are reflected in the construction of identity through communicative.

(35) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 35. practices, since they generate and reinforce in each person social positions, interpersonal relationships and cultural meanings (Kieswetter, 1995;Garcia, 2009; Sayer, 2013).. Learning and Identity The connection between learning and identity is explored in diverse contexts, regarding mostly the different types of identities. However, it is important to mention that this study is not focused on such issue. On the contrary, our intention is to understand how ELPTS construct their identity as learners, assuming different identity positions according to the circumstances and necessities along the learning process (Norton, 2013). This learning identity is mediated by different internal and external elements in the learning environment, which have a great impact on the construction of identity.. To begin with, Osguthorpe (2006), declared that there are at least five different kinds of identity that are influenced by learning: professional, personal, talent, character and learner identity. Learning identity is influenced by every new learning experience, therefore becoming the most relevant because the other identities rotate and develop around it. Then, learning and identity establish a cooperative work in the construction of a person (Illeris, 2007), and the learning identity is situated and mediated by different educational settings (formal, non-formal and informal).. In such scenarios, essential experiences appear to have a great impact on how we construct our identity as learners, as well as on who we are and what.

(36) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 36. we can do (Wenger, 1998). These experiences allow students to appropriate information and knowledge for themselves in order to succeed in their social interactions and academic goals. An issue that is reflected on the perceptions that students establish about their own learning process (Falsafi, 2010).. Additionally, learners have different perceptions of the facts related to their backgrounds, social context, educational environment, people around them and also about themselves (Falsafi, 2010). Based on these perceptions, students adopt a role in society, expecting recognition. This situation allows the construction of an “appropriate” identity for certain circumstances and scenarios, in this case for the educational context (Osterlund & Carlile, 2003). In other words, the construction of a learning identity is firstly mediated by a personal desire of acceptance and then by the context, determining the learners positions in front of their academic life.. The roles adopted by learners can be understood as the positions that they assume towards their academic challenges, regarding their history, experiences, individuality and expectations. Such roles are determined by how they perceive themselves as learners, and also by the notion of how others recognize them. Ultimately affecting their learning environment and relational contexts, which is directly reflected on their learning practices.. Learning practices are closely related to the classroom dynamics, the personal experiences and the purpose of learning the target language itself. In turn, all of this is surrounded by relationships, tasks and the involvement of the.

(37) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 37. students with an important element that determines all the aspects mentioned above: the activities. During the activities, learners bring to light their subjectivity, knowledge, attitudes and concerns in order to acquire new understandings and to achieve personal and academic goals. In other words, individuals carry out a constructive process in which through the participation in a set of activities, they facilitate or obstruct this process, and they become a learner (Sinha, 1999).. Through activities, learners express how they assume their learning process. This can occur in two possible ways: positively, by incorporating all helpful and adverse experiences in order to progress in their process; or negatively, by not perceiving themselves beyond their failures and the limitations in the educational context. This process allows learners to develop values and beliefs around their learning environment, language and personal interests; contributing to the construction of their identity as learners. In other words, what people do to belong to a specific context is in itself the basis of the construction of identity (Sinha, 1999, Falsafi, 2010).. It is important to emphasize that students are not only immerse in academic activities. They are involved in extracurricular activities, where learning appears as a spontaneous result. In relation to such activities, Gorard and Rees (2002) mention that the transition from one context to another, the impact of experiences and the subjectivity of each student are the basis for the development of a unique perspective about learning ..

(38) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 38. This perspective about learning becomes a guiding principle that determines the development of an individuality, as well as the construction of an identity regarding learning. It is important to mention that guiding principles can change over time and space. For that reason, authors like Falsifi (2010), considered that meanings result as the best option to encompass values and beliefs taking into consideration the two dimensional nature of identity as part individual and part social, where it is defined by the social context and experienced as a personal resource..

(39) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 39. Chapter Three Research Design. This section deals with the description of the research paradigm, the type of research, setting, participants, data collection techniques, data collection instruments. Likewise, we present the unit of analysis, the validity and reliability for this study and finally, the general chronogram of this research proposal.. Research Paradigm This project was a qualitative research because it “seeks to understand a given research problem or topic from the perspectives of the local population it involves” (Mack, Woodsong, MacQueen, Guest, Namey, 2005. Pg., 01). This type of inquiry is pertinent for our study, since it helps ELPTS to obtain information about experiences, beliefs, opinions and emotions of individuals. We attempt to discover and reveal how ELPTS construct their identity as foreign language learners.. Type of research This qualitative research was addressed through a case study, which can be defined as “an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context” (Yin, 1994. in Rhee, 2004. Pg, 72).. Yin (1994) proposed three different types of case studies depending on the.

(40) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 40. research question. The types of case studies are: exploratory, which is focused on answering a “what” question; descriptive, which focuses on covering the background information to make an accurate description; and explanatory which deals with “how” or “why” questions.. According to this classification, our research was a case study that combined both descriptive and exploratory elements, since it firstly attempted to describe how ELPTS at the LEBEI program construct their identity in relation to their foreign language learning process. Based on the data obtained through the collection techniques, we want to find what distinctive features emerge from students in the first part of the LEBEI program, and how these features impact the construction of their identity as language learners.. Setting This study was developed in the Faculty of Sciences and Education of Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas located at Carrera 3 No.26 A- 40 in Bogotá, Colombia. The faculty offers the program Bachelor in Basic Education with Emphasis in English or LEBEI (for its acronym in Spanish).. This program has as mission "to achieve the integral qualification of English teachers of basic education to contribute in the improvement of the quality of the education for children, in Bogota as well as in the country in general." The vision of the program relates to how "the improvement of the quality of the.

(41) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 41. educational service allows systematic innovations in the field of research, extension and teaching, with impact at national and international levels.". In order to accomplish both its mission and vision, this program has a study plan of ten semesters, divided into three cycles: fundamentación (fundamentation cycle) (first to fourth semester), profundización (deepening cycle) (fifth to sixth semester) and innovación-creación (innovation-creation cycle) (seventh to ninth semester). These cycles are composed by nine fields of training: scientific-disciplinary, pedagogy, communicative-aesthetic, ethicalpolitical, investigative, intrinsic and extrinsic electives, and foreign language.. Participants In this case study research, we decided to select ELPTS of first to fifth semester of the program Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés, LEBEI. The group of participants is made up by male and female students between the ages of 18 and 20. According to the study plan of LEBEI, first to fourth semester learners are in the cycle of fundamentation and fifth semester student are in the cycle of deepening.. In the first cycle, LEBEI preservice teachers take English Basic I and II, Intermediate I and II as foreign language, with an hourly intensity of ten hours per week. In the second cycle, students of fifth semester take English Intermediate III with an hourly intensity of eight hours per week..

(42) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 42. Selection of participants The selection of participants was carried out implementing purposive sampling. In this sample technique, the researchers strategically select participants that collaborate to achieve the objectives of the study (Palys, 2008. Pg, 697- 698).. The criteria that we kept in mind to choose the participants were the following: ●. ELPTS of the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas of Bogotá.. ●. ELPTS in the program “Licenciatura en Educación Básica con Énfasis en Inglés, LEBEI”.. ●. ELPTS from first to fifth semester.. ●. ELPTS with available time in the afternoon.. ●. ELPTS willing to participate in audio recorded interviews.. ●. ELPTS willing to write a brief history of their personal life in relation to their English learning process.. In addition, with the purpose of specifically selecting each participant, we implemented self-selection sampling, in which the members of a sample group decide themselves whether or not being part of the study. The method to convene the participation of the members is usually through advertisement and announcements (Alvi, 2016)..

(43) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 43. In order to convene the participants we decide to visit the classes of each semester to intervene some minutes with the permission of the teacher. We explained the features and objectives of our project. At the end, we mentioned the requirements of participants, and asked the participation of two or three ELPTS per semester. Finally, we collected their personal information and by using an excel chart we organized the groups of work according to their time restrictions.. Data Collection Techniques and Instruments With the purpose of collecting data for our study, we decided to implement two techniques that are suitable and adequate to achieve the objectives of our study. These techniques are: autobiographical narratives and interviews through audio recording.. Autobiographical Narratives. With the purpose of collecting authentic information, we selected narratives as an additional collection technique, since they focus on stories about the participants themselves, or a set of events that involve them. This technique consists more specifically in collecting “a story told by a research participant, or a conversation between two or more people” (Hancock, Ockleford, Windridge, 2009 pg. 10). In our study, the narratives represent a source for finding the stories and opinions of the ELPTS, in connection to language learning, through the narration of their experiences during their academic process..

(44) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 44. By expanding further on the autobiographical narratives, this collective method aims to encourage the participants to reveal crucial aspects about some important events in their lives. Since the narratives are based on the reconstruction of previous facts and experiences of the participants, the interviewer intervention is minimal (Junqueira et al., 2014). As researchers, we limited our participation in the narratives to presenting the outline, providing some recommendations and dissipating possible doubts.. In the narratives the participants describe their life events in a chronological and logical sequence. Therefore, the narratives are told by their own protagonist and are written in the first person. The narratives may provide very descriptive details, including personal anecdotes and experiences, along with their interpretation. Such insights can show the shifts in the perspectives and feelings of the participants during their lives, as they are affected by different people and events.. Interviews. The Interview is a qualitative collection technique used to explore the views, experiences, beliefs and motivations of individual participants. As Dörnyei (2007 cited by Alshenqeeti, 2014) proposes, interviewing is “a natural and socially acceptable” way of collecting data which can be used in different situations to cover a variety of topics. Interviewing can be a practical tool to collect data since it facilitates the understanding of a comprehensive speech..

(45) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 45. Given the nature of our study, we decided to implement a qualitative interview. In these kind of interview there is an emphasis on formulating questions that integrate the research objectives, and most important the perspectives of the participants (Gill, 2008).. The interview implemented was semi-structured, which is characterized by having an outline with several key questions that help to define the areas to be explored (Gill, 2008). This type of interview is flexible, since it allows to formulate the questions according to answers of the participants, rather than strictly following a fixed outline. Likewise, it provides researchers and participants with a friendly conversational environment, in which participants feel comfortable telling their story (Morse & Corbin, 2003 cited by Robertson and Hale, 2011), and researchers can try to obtain more details based on the responses of the interviewees.. The objective of the interviews was to recognize the experiences of the ELPTS, in relation to language learning, and how such experiences are connected to the construction of their identity as language learners. For this purpose, the collection technique selected was the biographical method, or oral life history interview. This type of interview invites the participants to reflect upon specific events or periods in the past, which usually are combined with other sources, like biographical narratives. In order to construct the questions, we kept in mind the five categories proposed in the BALLI questionnaire (Hortwitz, 1985). The categories are:.

(46) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 46. difficulty of language learning, foreign language aptitude, nature of language in learning, communication strategies and motivations, and expectations. Moreover, we formulated questions that allowed to recognize more aspects related to the process of students as English learners, the people and the factors that influenced their learning.. The oral life history interviews were audio recorded in three sections, each one with an approximate duration of sixty minutes. Likewise, audio recorded individual interviews were also carried out, which lasted approximately sixty minutes as well. The recordings were saved for their subsequent transcription and analysis.. Unit of Analysis In this study, our unit of analysis are the key sentences contained in the written autobiographical narratives and the transcription interviews of the participants. Such key sentences are expected to reflect elements like their voices, experiences and thoughts about language learning, and how such elements construct their identity as language learners.. Validity and Reliability The validity of this study relies on three main aspects: first, how the participants were selected; second, their authorization to collect the data; and third, the recording of the written narratives and interviews provided by ELPTS..

(47) 47. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. This study is reliable because it was carried out in the real context of the ELPTS, and as researchers we did our best in order not to interfere with such context. As a result, the information gathered is deemed more genuine and relevant in relation to the identity construction of the participants as English language learners.. Table # 1. General Chronogram. General Chronogram Month. Weeks. Plan of Action. Instruments. June 2015. ___. Accomplishment and presentation of the monograph proposal.. ___. August 2015. Four weeks. Start of the monograph project: development of the first chapter.. Questionnaire. September 2015. Four weeks. Drafting of the second chapter: reading of investigative texts and writing of the theoretical framework.. Journals, books, articles related to the concept of identity.. October to November 2015. Eight weeks. Improvement of the second chapter: reading of journals, books and articles to support the theoretical framework.. Journals, books, articles related to the concepts of identity and identity construction.. March to April 2016. Eight weeks. Adjustment and completion of the second chapter.. Journals, books, articles related to the concepts of identity and language learners’ identity construction.. June 2016. Three weeks. Review of the first and second chapters. ___. August 2016. Three weeks. Adjustment of the first and second chapters: improvement of the problem statement. ___.

(48) 48. IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. October 2016. Four weeks. Drafting of the third chapter: reading of investigative texts to develop the research design. Journals, books, articles about research. Analysis of the possible participants and instruments to be used for data collection.. November 2016. Four weeks. Adjustment and completion of the third chapter.. Protocol formats for data collection. Search for participants. Establishment of the schedule with the participants to carry out the data collection. December 2016. Three weeks. Data collection. Interview Guideline Online document for the autobiographical narratives. February 2017. Four weeks. Transcription of the interviews and reading of the narratives.. Recordings of the interviews. Autobiographical narratives.. March 2017. May to June 2017. Four weeks. Six weeks. Transcription of the interviews. Recordings of the interviews.. Improvement of the first, second and third chapters.. Journals, books, articles related to the concepts of identity and language learners’ identity construction.. Reading to make the improvements suggested by the monograph advisor.. Journals, books, articles about case studies. September 2017. October 2017. Three weeks. Four weeks. Skimming and scanning on the collected data from the narratives and interviews.. Transcription of the interviews.. Development of a chart with the participants’ comments in the narratives and interviews. Search for similarities.. Narratives.. Chart analysis to find the possible categories classifying the information by colors.. Transcription of the interviews.. Establishment of the categories according to its characteristics. Drafting of the fourth chapter: explanation of the first category in the data analysis.. Narratives. Chart with the participants’ comments..

(49) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. November 2017. Four weeks. Development of the fourth chapter: explanation of the second category in the data analysis.. 49. Transcription of the interviews. Narratives. Chart with the participants’ comments.. December 2017. Three weeks. Establishment of the fourth chapter: explanation of the second category in the data analysis.. Transcription of the interviews. Narratives. Chart with the participants’ comments.. January 2018. Four weeks. Completion of the data analysis. Development of the conclusions and pedagogical implications.. Findings from the data analysis. February 2018. Three weeks. Review of the fourth chapter, conclusions and pedagogical implications by the monograph advisor.. Findings from the data analysis.. Adjustment of the fourth chapter, conclusions and pedagogical implications. March 2018. Three weeks. General review and reinforcement of the monograph document.. Monograph document.. Abril de 2018. ___. Completion and delivery of the monograph document.. Monograph document..

(50) IDENTITY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS. 50. Chapter Four Data Analysis. This chapter provides an analysis of the data and the findings based on the responses of the ELPTS, obtained through autobiographical narratives and interviews, in order to answer the research question: how do English language preservice teachers construct their identities as language learners?. Since our study was a qualitative case study, we followed the principles. of the grounded theory proposed by Corbin & Strauss (1990). The findings presented were divided into three categories which came out after a process of reading, identifying and comparing data, considering the theoretical basis of this project. Process for data Collection The process of data collection was carried out with ELPTS of Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas at LEBEI program. We began the search for participants from first to fifth semester by asking some teachers to take a few minutes of their classes, in order to invite ELPTS to participate in this research project. Then, we explained to them the purpose of our study, as well as the management of the information and the data collection schedule.. We found eight ELPTS for this study: one in first semester, three in second,.