ELT Journal Advance Access originally published online on May 20, 2008
ELT Journal 2009 63(1):33-41; doi:10.1093/elt/ccn021
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved.
Learning difficulty and learner identity: a symbiotic relationship
Eliana Hirano is currently a PhD student in Applied Linguistics and ESL at Georgia State University and she completed her Masters Degree at the Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil. Her research interests include language learner identity, sociocultural theory, and teacher education
Email: eslelhx{at}langate.gsu.edu
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Abstract |
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This paper reports on a longitudinal case study of an adult EFL learner who perceived himself as having difficulty learning English. Both learning difficulty and learner identity are viewed as being constructed in discursive interactions throughout one's life and, hence, amenable to reconstruction. Data collected from classroom interactions, interviews, and learner and teacher–researcher diaries show that this learner's difficulty and identity were deeply intertwined and influenced each other. The discussion of the findings is divided into three parts: past EFL learning experiences that shaped his identity, examples of the mutual relationship between learning difficulty and learner identity, and pedagogical actions that aimed at, and somewhat succeeded in, triggering the transformation of the student's identity. The results of this study are promising and offer teachers a more empowering and optimistic way of dealing with students who present difficulty learning English.