A linguistic ethnographical approach to critical teacher education: Motivation, investment, EFL preservice teachers

Pre-service teachers’ (PSTs’) motivation to learn and teach is mediated by their investment in multiple identities as a state of self-balancing flux. Drawing upon the notions of language learning motivation (LLM) and L2 investment, this nine-month linguistic ethnography explores how two Chinese PSTs of English perceived the shaping effects of identities on their English LLM and investment while simultaneously attending English and pedagogical courses in a B.A. (ELT) program. This study highlights how PSTs with different socioeconomic backgrounds, gender, and future self-images invested in their professional, learner, linguistic, personal, cultural, and role identities. The findings show why one PST failed, whereas the other succeeded in claiming legitimacy as competent bilingual teachers and learners in various contexts and power relationships. Copyright © 2023 AERA.