Identity, literacy, and English language teaching

In the field of English language teaching, there has been increasing interest in the way literacydevelopment is influenced by institutional and community practices, and the way power is implicatedin language learners’ engagement with text. In this paper, I trace the trajectory of my research onidentity, literacy, and English language teaching, informed by theories of investment and imaginedcommunities. Data from English language classrooms in Canada, Pakistan, and Uganda suggest that iflearners have a sense of ownership over meaning-making, they will have enhanced identities aslearners, and participate more actively in literacy practices. The research challenges English teachersto consider what pedagogical practices are both appropriate and desirable in the teaching of literacy,and what practices will help students develop the capacity for imagining a wider range of identitiesacross time and space. Such practices, the research suggests, will necessitate changes in both teacherand student identity.

Keywords:

identity , literacy development , power , investment , ELT