The Intersection of Language Ideologies and Language Teacher Identities in the Expanding Circle

Abstract

Standard Language Ideology has historically permeated second/foreign language education, disseminating the belief that a homogeneous “standard” language, which belongs to its native speakers only, is ideal and preferable. In the context of English language teaching (ELT), this type of language ideology has traditionally functioned as a gatekeeping mechanism for non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs). Although there are multiple examples in the language teacher identity (LTI) literature that demonstrate how ideological phenomena impacts teacher’s professional identities (e.g., Barkhuizen, 2016, Song, 2016), very few studies have made explicit connections between ideologies and teacher identity formation. In the field of second language acquisition, a limited number of studies have explored the interconnectedness of ideology and learner identities (e.g., Anderson, 2009; Bartlett, 2007; De Costa, 2010, 2011, 2016; Razfar, 2005), but this explicit connection has not been examined through the lenses of LTI. Furthermore, most studies that look at NNESTs identities have focused on Asian English teachers. Studies about South American teachers have started to recently surface (e.g., Khami-Stein et al. 2017) but countries such as Venezuela, where this dissertation took place, are practically invisible in the literature. This study relied on the theoretical underpinnings of poststructuralist perspectives of identity (e.g. Barkhuizen, 2017; Bucholtz & Hall, 2012; Pavlenko and Blackledge, 2004; Kayi-Aydar, 2015), and combined a semiotic approach to textual analysis (Gal & Irvine, 1995) with qualitative methods such as single case studies, thematic analysis, and ethnographic data collection tools to answer the following research questions: 1. What are macro, meso, and micro level circulating language ideologies that may shape English language teaching in Venezuela? 2. How do circulating language ideologies intersect with the professional identities of English teachers? Through the critical analysis of two reports on ELT in Latin America, Venezuelan national education policy documents, and the curriculum of a teacher education program, I uncovered the language ideologies that perpetuate the hegemonic position of Inner Circle Englishes in this context. I also present two single-case studies of English teachers whose professional identities and teaching practices were directly impacted by the circulating language ideologies in the region. The findings of my study shed light on the intricate nature of language teacher identity construction and yield important implications for policy makers and teacher educators.