Transnational Language Teacher Identities in TESOL

Book excerpt: Drawing on Bakhtin’s notion of ideological becoming and the concepts of intersectionality and transnationalism, this volume offers a unique conceptual framework to explore and better understand the identity construction and negotiation of international TESOL students. Focusing on female graduate students studying in the U.S., the text utilizes rich narratives to illustrate how nuanced language teacher identities develop through complex dialogic processes relating to language, race, and gender—as well as migration experiences—and individuals’ integration in academic and professional communities. Ultimately, the text contests deficit reductionist views of transnational students that are implied by educational policies and administration. This text will benefit scholars, academics, and students in the fields of bilingualism, TESOL, multicultural education, and language identity more broadly. Those involved with teaching and teacher education, as well as language and culture in general, will also benefit from this book.