ERIC Number: EJ1411085
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0951-8398
EISSN: EISSN-1366-5898
Available Date: N/A
An Autoethnography of an International English Language Teaching Assistant's Identity Paradoxes in an EFL Context
International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education (QSE), v37 n2 p498-511 2024
International teaching assistants (ITAs) often encounter challenges, and with the popularization of English medium instruction (EMI) in international higher education contexts, these problems are no longer restricted to English-speaking countries. Against this backdrop and drawing on the concept of identity paradox, the author presents an autoethnography of the identity construction of an ITA in Macau. Influenced by factors at four levels (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal), this autoethnographic narrative suggests that ITA identity construction can be a journey of continual reconciliation of various paradoxical identity categories as captured by three pairs of identity paradoxes: "mute English user" vs. "advanced English learner," "mechanical teacher" vs. "divergent thinker," and "struggling fighter" vs. "ambitious planner." Based on the findings, a theory-informed discussion and implications for ITA training are included.
Descriptors: Ethnography, Teaching Assistants, Foreign Students, Student Attitudes, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Self Concept, Language of Instruction, Creative Thinking, Foreign Countries, Doctoral Students, Native Speakers
Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Macau
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A