earticle

영어

Hong, Young-Suk. 2014. Multiplicity of a Teacher Identities and Fluidity of Her English Concepts: A Narrative Inquiry into an Elementary EFL Teacher's Life Stories. Journal of Linguistic Studies 19(2), 183-206. This paper explores how a Korean elementary EFL teacher composes her teacher stories, who is situated in the social atmosphere of prevailing perception of English as an absolute value. As a result of this narrative inquiry, emerged implications and understandings are as follows: Firstly, the elementary EFL teacher is vulnerable to forming English teacher identities; however, she is located in psychologically higher position in the school landscapes because of her 'assumed English competence'. Secondly, fluidity of her English concepts forms so different teacher identities and her teacher identities are composed so differently according to different places and situations. Thirdly, the participant teacher was able to overcome the linguistic inferiority of English to native English assistant teachers by establishing the essential meaning of English teaching as a foreign language in the Korean context. Lastly, the elementary EFL teacher lives totally different stories depending on looking at English as ends or as means in terms of being an EFL teacher. It is hoped that this paper will offer insights into composing life stories as a Korean elementary EFL teacher and expanding the understanding of their storied lives as phenomenon in the Korean society. (Jungwon University)