اللسانيات التطبيقية

Teacher Identity Construction Through Code-switching In An Algerian Emi Classroom: A Positioning Theory Perspective And Preliminary Observations On Language Attitudes

Auteurs : Benlaouar Imene Sandra . Alouache Amel .

Résumé

While code-switching in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) classrooms is often studied as a pedagogical strategy, its role in teacher identity construction remains underexplored. This study examines how an EMI teacher uses code-switching to construct and negotiate professional identity in a first-year engineering classroom at the University of Constantine 2, Algeria. Adopting a qualitative single-case study design, data from ten recorded classroom sessions were analyzed through Positioning Theory (Davies & Harré, 1999). The analysis revealed four recurring positioning functions of code-switching: pedagogical mediation, solidarity and rapport, authority and discipline, and the negotiation of multiple identities in which authority, empathy, and humor coexist. Rather than reflecting a fixed professional self, the teacher constructed a dynamic, hybrid identity through strategic code-switching, which also offered preliminary indications of his language attitudes toward English and Darija. These findings carry implications for EMI policy reform, teacher professional development, and research on language and identity in multilingual contexts.

Mots clés

English as a Medium of Instruction ; code-switching ; Positioning Theory ; teacher identity ; language attitudes