ABSTRACT
As English as a lingua franca (ELF) research in Japan expands and increases, there comes along with it a diverse range of approaches and methods used to conduct these studies. This paper focuses on research that uses narratives in ELF research. In particular, it aims to discuss some of the methodological issues involved in the interview process by drawing on data that examined the development of ELF identities with Japanese English learners at the tertiary level. The importance for researchers to establish a space for critical and reflective thinking towards their research may not be particularly new, but discussions on how it is actually managed is an under-researched area. The paper calls for a reflexive approach that is context-sensitive to the co-construction of interview interaction between the participant and the researcher by demonstrating how methodological choices, interests, subjectivities, and identities of both the researcher and the participants are intricately intertwined in the co-construction of ELF identities.
