How Do EFL Learners Construct Identity and Make Investments in Multilingual English Classrooms? A Narrative Case Study
M. Faruq Ubaidillah – Emy Sudarwati – Erikson Saragih – Anna Riana Suryanti Tambunan – Fauziah Khairani Lubis
DOI: 10.18355/XL.2025.18.04.13
Abstract
Multilingual English classrooms in Indonesia are seen as sites of identity struggles for the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language. However, the extent to which learners construct identities and make investments in such classrooms remains unclear. To fill the lacuna, this narrative case study investigated how Indonesian EFL learners construct their multilingual identities and invest in English language learning within multilingual classroom contexts. Drawing on interview data from four EFL learners in an English Language Education program, the study revealed that learners negotiate their identities through a combination of English, national, and local languages in the classes. This highlights the use of translanguaging and local accents as expressions of identity, even as they strive toward native-like English proficiency. This evidence also reflects the tension between local realities and global language ideologies in ELT. Learners also invest in English through both academic and extracurricular avenues, which is motivated by professional aspirations and personal role models. The findings underscore the complex interplay between identity, language ideologies, and learner agency in multilingual English classrooms. This study calls for pedagogical practices that acknowledge and support multilingual learners’ diverse pathways of language investment and self-positioning.
Key words: EFL context, investment, learner identity, multilingual English classroom
Pages: 190-201
Full Text