Language Teacher Identity Construction: Reflective Conversation

Language teacher identity (LTI) plays a significant role at various stages of a professional career. Yet, teacher preparation programs address LTI differently. The Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is the most widely recognized initial qualification. Examining how LTI is constructed during and after the acquisition of the CELTA is needed to expand understanding of the LTI knowledge base associated with these programs and the complex nature of LTI in general. Framed within situated learning perspective, this longitudinal study conceptualizes LTI as an interplay between language teacher cognition and teacher learning. It aims to advance LTI research by utilizing the reflective conversation heuristic to examine the LTI construction of a novice teacher during and after the CELTA. Findings reveal changes at the three levels of the reflective conversation heuristic and point to the utility of the heuristic as a novel approach to supporting identity construction.