ABSTRACT
A growing number of ELF research has started to appreciate that ELF communication is relevant to ELF speakers’ identity construction (e.g., Baker 2009; Jenkins 2007; Virkkula and Nikula 2010), rather than merely serving communicative purposes (House 2003). In particular, several ELF studies discussed ELF speakers’ use of strategies such as code-switching (Cogo 2009; Klimpfinger 2009) and the integration of L1 communicative norms into ELF conversation as a potential marker of speakers’ identity (Pölzl and Seidlhofer 2006). Nevertheless, extensive investigation on the link between identity and linguistic strategies has not been conducted from a participant’s perspective. Accordingly, this chapter will discuss, in particular, how Japanese ELF speakers construct identities and how different identities are related to their choices of expressions to deliver pragmatically relevant messages depending on various sociocultural settings in ELF communication. Informed by questionnaire surveys and follow-up interviews, the focus of the inquiry is centred upon the participants’ perspective, i.e., the ELF users’ narratives on their experience of English language learning and engagement in ELF communication. From the findings and discussion of the present study, the author will consider educational implications in Japanese higher education, specifically with interest in EMI settings.
