Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher
Metaphor and metaphorical expressions are phenomena of interest in teacher education research and research on teacher identity. However, little attention has been given to teaching of English to young learners (TEYL) teachers’ metaphorical expressions, and what these expressions might tell us abou...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2018
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/1/24003-91405-1-PB.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848813911629889536 |
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| author | Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, Arshad Abd Samad, |
| author_facet | Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, Arshad Abd Samad, |
| author_sort | Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, |
| building | UKM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Metaphor and metaphorical expressions are phenomena of interest in teacher education research and research
on teacher identity. However, little attention has been given to teaching of English to young learners (TEYL)
teachers’ metaphorical expressions, and what these expressions might tell us about their identities and
experiences. This study explores the metaphorical expression constructed by an experienced teacher to describe
what it means to be a TEYL teacher in the ESL context. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews,
stimulated recall interviews, and a metaphor elicitation prompt: ‘Who do you see yourself as a teacher?’ The
results revealed that while the metaphorical expression of ‘mother’ stands out as a concept that associates
teaching with being nurturing, the teacher’s enactment of other roles; projected as ‘knowledge provider’, ‘law
enforcer’, and ‘facilitator’, is more strongly oriented to the behaviourist idea of teaching. These findings shed
light on the role of identity in expanding the in-service teachers’ perspective of teachers and teaching using selfconstructed metaphors. A major recommendation of this study is that teacher educators need to promote
reflective practice in TESL teacher training to critically explore the concept of knowledge about self. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T00:25:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:15891 |
| institution | Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T00:25:43Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:158912020-12-01T03:57:29Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/ Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, Arshad Abd Samad, Metaphor and metaphorical expressions are phenomena of interest in teacher education research and research on teacher identity. However, little attention has been given to teaching of English to young learners (TEYL) teachers’ metaphorical expressions, and what these expressions might tell us about their identities and experiences. This study explores the metaphorical expression constructed by an experienced teacher to describe what it means to be a TEYL teacher in the ESL context. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews, stimulated recall interviews, and a metaphor elicitation prompt: ‘Who do you see yourself as a teacher?’ The results revealed that while the metaphorical expression of ‘mother’ stands out as a concept that associates teaching with being nurturing, the teacher’s enactment of other roles; projected as ‘knowledge provider’, ‘law enforcer’, and ‘facilitator’, is more strongly oriented to the behaviourist idea of teaching. These findings shed light on the role of identity in expanding the in-service teachers’ perspective of teachers and teaching using selfconstructed metaphors. A major recommendation of this study is that teacher educators need to promote reflective practice in TESL teacher training to critically explore the concept of knowledge about self. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2018 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/1/24003-91405-1-PB.pdf Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, and Arshad Abd Samad, (2018) Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher. 3L; Language,Linguistics and Literature,The Southeast Asian Journal of English Language Studies., 24 (4). pp. 143-157. ISSN 0128-5157 http://ejournals.ukm.my/3l/issue/view/1152 |
| spellingShingle | Norhakimah Khaiessa Ahmad, Arshad Abd Samad, Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title | Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title_full | Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title_fullStr | Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title_short | Metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching English to young learners (TEYL) teacher |
| title_sort | metaphors as proxies for identity: a case study of a teaching english to young learners (teyl) teacher |
| url | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/15891/1/24003-91405-1-PB.pdf |