Al Mubarokah KTJ16(2)

Al Mubarokah, L. (2021). Learning Investment as a Means of Shaping Learner Identity in Higher Education. Korea TESOL Journal, 16(2)(1), 101-124.

Abstract: Despite the growing number of research studies on identity and investment in EFL countries, there seems to be insufficient research on the investment and identity in Asian contexts, and research is extremely sparse in the Indonesian context. To fill this void, this study aims to investigate how an Indonesian learner’s investment in English shaped her identity as an English language learner.This study was carried out through an in-depth interview both offline and online. Additionally, a narrative analysis was used to examine the Indonesian learner’s investment and identity in learning English with regard to her complex real-life experiences. The data were analyzed by referring to learner identity and learner investment as frameworks for the case study. The outcomes of the study found that the learner’s professional and well-educated parents supported her investment in terms of time, support, and money for learning English, and as a consequence, the learner was motivated and felt a connection to the language, which gradually shaped her identity across diverse communities as an English language learner. These findings have the pedagogical implication that educational practitioners need to consider not only curricular activities but also extra-curricular activities to facilitate effective learning while fostering investment. Since in many Asia contexts there is a financial component to English language education instruction beyond regular schooling, the parents’ view of English language education plays a critical role. This directly impacts a learner’s perception of English, their English instruction, and their investment in the language. This study suggests implications for the Southeast Asian and Asian classrooms, considering factors outside the classroom.

Keywords: learning investment, learner identity, higher education, English learning, Indonesian learner

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