Identity construction in complex second language classrooms

In this study of an Indonesian language class in Australia, I propose that students are agentive in adopting, rejecting and deploying discursive positions within the classroom. There are a range of identities made available in the classroom, only some of which are taken up and privileged within specific moments in the classroom. I apply the notions of voice, script and counterscript to suggest that identity is a process of seeking to exercise influence over others and trying to present oneself in a favourable light. Analyses of episodes reveals that students move in and out of identity positions as the Indonesian language lesson progresses and these moves have ideological and material consequences for the participants. The discoursal journey of Nancy, an indigenous student, involves a move from being an active participant in establishing the official script of the Indonesian lesson to being silent and resistant. Nancy adopts the identity of an invisible Aboriginal woman—put in place largely by her peers, but supported and scaffolded through the symbolic violence perpetrated by the institution. The study highlights the interface between broader societal processes and the moment-to-moment interactions of the classroom and provides a window into the ideological becoming of students in the dynamic social spaces of the Indonesian classroom.