Practices: students’ positionings as english language learners

Abstract

This qualitative descriptive and interpretative study was developed to characterize and comprehend the meaning students assigned to the experiences they lived as students in an EFL context by means of reflective practices. The main objectives of this study were to unveil the positions that students enact during the implementation of a self-assessment language portfolio in an EFL classroom and to specify how those positions are shaped when developing self-assessment practices. Conversational interviews and video recordings were the main source of data collection. Findings suggest that reflective practices serve as a tool for student to express and define positions as English language learners. Students’ positions were attached to past and present experiences inside English classes, and emotions were crucial when defining positions. Results also suggest that reflective practices allowed students to become analyzers of their proficiency as English learners taking into account that proficiency levels proposed by the Common European framework are the foundations of the English curriculum proposed at their school. Reflective practices in the English classroom allowed discussion and feedback among students and between the teacher and the students and favored giving students a voice to express their views about EFL teaching and learning practices.