Abstract
In this exploratory qualitative case study, graduate and undergraduate students who are pre-service teachers were invited to start their (Social Media) SM practices teaching their selected SM audience their chosen aspects of TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language). The researcher started by interviewing each of them about their backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations related to TESOL and SM. During the 12-week project while developing their SM practice, the participants also engaged in discussions on SM cultures and how such cultures might be in conflict with existing TESOL practice and how it could be made creatively useful for TESOL. They did so by analyzing some SM language-teaching practitioners and their work while using these practitioners’ work to dialogue with publications on language teaching methodology (e.g., learner-centered language teaching approaches) and SM culture (e.g., participatory culture). The whole process was documented through audio and video data, including individual interviews, group discussions, written reflections, and the participants’ elaboration on their work-in-progress. Drawing on Wenger, the findings is a complex picture of how these pre-serve teachers manifest SM in TESOL through their created SM practices. In particular, their participation or non-participation is related to their emerging language teacher identities (LTIs), for example, whether or not there is a willingness to break the ideological boundary of what it means to be a SM practitioner and a language teacher. Implications and suggestions for language teacher education are provided.
Presenters
Chin Chi ChaoAssociate Professor, Department of English, National Chengchi University, Taiwan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2023 Special Focus: Agency in an Era of Displacement and Social Change
KEYWORDS
LANGUAGE TEACHER IDENTITIES, SOCAIL MEDIA, TESOL
