“I know what I want, but the system wants something else”
A narrative inquiry into L2 investment and imagined identities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19224294 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Reyhan Aslan (0000-0001-6099-8990, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi), Gölge Seferoğlu (0000-0001-7587-6822, California State University, San Bernardino) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1443-9883 • E-ISSN: 1448-0980 |
| Publisher | Emerald Publishing Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1108/qrj-02-2026-0056 |
| OpenAlex | W7160842597 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 37 |
Purpose This study explores how an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learner in an Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at a Turkish university constructs her future English-speaking selves and how these imagined identities shape her investment in language learning within an exam-oriented institutional context. Drawing on theories of identity, imagined communities, and investment, the study aims to illuminate how learners negotiate tensions between personal aspirations and institutional demands over time. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative narrative inquiry, the study focuses on the longitudinal learning story of one focal learner, Melisa. Data were generated through multiple in-depth narrative interviews, institutional documents and contextual data from the IELP-setting. Analysis was conducted using thematic narrative analysis, attending to both the content of Melisa's narratives and how she positioned herself across past, present, and imagined future learning experiences. Findings The findings reveal three interconnected phases in Melisa's English learning trajectory: early disengagement shaped by exam-driven schooling, a turning point marked by the emergence of imagined academic and global identities, and a negotiated and strategically adapted form of investment within the university preparatory program. While Melisa sustained strong future-oriented aspirations, her investment was often strategically shaped by institutional constraints, leading her to balance institutional compliance with self-directed learning practices. Originality/value By offering a detailed narrative account, this study contributes to research on second language (L2) identity and investment by showing how learners maintain purpose and agency even when institutional conditions limit meaningful participation. Methodologically, it demonstrates the value of narrative inquiry for capturing identity and investment as lived, evolving processes
Agency (philosophy) · Disengagement theory · French immersion · Identity (music) · Narrative · Narrative criticism · Narrative inquiry · Negotiation · Qualitative research · Thematic analysis · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy
Case Study Research on Language Learning and Use
Culture and Identity through English as a Lingua Franca
Language learning motivation, self and identity
Imagined Communities, Identity, and English Language Learning
Developing students’ awareness of Global Englishes
Bridging the theory and practice divide in pre-service language teacher education
Language learners’ linguistic investment in ideologically framed language institutes
Understanding classroom participation and identity negotiation
English language learners’ visualization of identities in transformation in an imagined world
The role and status of English in Turkish higher education
Access to linguistic resources
Imagined Communities and Educational Possibilities
Investments and Identities across Contexts
Imagined Communities, School Visions, and the Education of Bilingual Students in Japan
Learner Identity and Investment in EFL, EMI, and ESL Contexts
Global, local or glocal? Identities of L2 learners in English as a Lingua Franca communication
Investment and motivation in language learning
Sustaining imagined identities in imagined worlds
Here, without English, you are dead’
Language Mixing in an English-Medium University Context
Naturalistic inquiry
Narrative configuration in qualitative analysis
Exploring EMI students’ attitudes towards translanguaging and English language proficiency threshold across different disciplines
Identity and a Model of Investment in Applied Linguistics
Exploring cultural and linguistic diversity in the English-medium instruction university
World Englishes in the Turkish sociolinguistic context
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |