Discourse and Identity: Features of Language Classroom Interaction

Identity is a continuous process linked to social interaction, in which language and social experiences play an important role (Mead, 1934). The objective of this study was to analyze how the foreign language teacher shapes and builds her professional identity in the classroom interaction. For this, Conversation Analysis (CA) was carried out and the interactive features on which communication is supported in the classroom were identified and interpreted. A twenty-minute English class was recorded, three minutes of it transcribed, and five extracts analyzed. The results showed the interaction characteristics: repair, question and answer system (questioning), and the use of non-verbal communication. The analysis of interaction features allowed to conclude that, according to the proposed theory, the construction of the teacher's professional identity is a process in continuous transformation. Transformation that takes place in the classroom interaction and is perceptible through the change in the habitual actions that occur when interacting or when the teacher executes new actions as a product of this interaction.