Identity, Language Learning, and Teacher Education

Abstract

Abstract In the field of applied linguistics, early interest in identity focused on language learners and language learning, which has expanded to include language teaching and language teacher identity. There is now emerging interest in identity and language teacher education, including language teacher educator identity. In the first section of this article, we discuss the changing conceptions of identity in applied linguistics, and its relationship to identity research in language learning and teaching. In the second section, we examine the implications of this research for language teacher education. These implications relate to the need to intentionally support language teacher identity development as an integral aspect of teacher education, the importance of centering considerations of student identity affirmation and negotiation, and attention to ways in which teacher educator identity plays a significant role in language teacher education.