Abstract

This narrative inquiry uses two perspectives, emic and etic, to narrate and analyze the experience of a non-Chinese-speaking, foreign EFL teacher at a prison in Taiwan. The emic (inside) perspective is provided by the prison educator, while the etic (outside) perspective analyzes the prison education events according to Wenger’s learning theory of communities of practice. The data set used included the prison educator’s notes, observations, and recollections; the prison education director’s feedback; and student interviews. Emic narratives are presented in first-person accounts with etic analysis following each narrative section. Conclusions point to a need for educators to consider understanding learning in a more comprehensive manner that incorporates identity formation.