ABSTRACT
A fi nal reason why attention to language teacher identity is so important concerns the identity of language teacher in the role of language-across-thecurriculum practitioner. Over the decades, and due to my involvement in debates about the role of language in the curriculum and the role of language in learning, I have been witness to discussions on the role of language and thus of the role of language practitioners in learning. Some take the position that language teachers provide a service-a fairly marginalized one at that-to “fi x the student.” This may lead to the teacher having an identity as marginalized, isolated, and “other.” Others maintain that language is central to teaching and learning, and that therefore the language teacher should work in a collaborative manner, side by side with lecturers. However, I have felt myself and have seen others on occasion infl ate our own role and importance as language teachers and participate in turf wars. This tendency can be mitigated by a more thorough understanding of the role of language in learning and teaching, both of its centrality as well as its embeddedness.
What is language teacher identity?
