Self in Motion: Translingual Identity, Language Ideology, and Teachers' Pedagogical Practice in the Language Classroom

Drawing on such concepts as globalization, transcultural and translingual mobility, (Blommaert, 2005), multilingualism, superdiversity (Vertovec, 2007) and individual hybridity (Appadurai, 1996), this research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the impact of language teachers migratory experiences on language pedagogy (Menard-Warwick, 2008; Morgan, 2004; Varghese, Morgan, Johnson & Johnson, 2005). This qualitative study employs narrative inquiry as a research method to explore six language teachers narratives of migration and language learning to understand how individuals language ideologies, identity, and language pedagogy are shaped by transnational mobility. The results of the study indicate that migratory life experiences contribute to the formation of identity and the development of language ideologies. Narratives of participants suggest that they draw on their migratory experiences, identity, and language ideologies to inform their pedagogy in the language classroom. Moving forward, this research has implications on language-teaching practices and the professional development of language teachers.