Shaping students’ identity through EFL in Belgrade high schools

Abstract

The global spread of English has led to a myriad of speculations as to whether the language affects learners’ identities and, if so, whether the consequences are positive or negative. Thus, the two hypotheses leading this paper assert that the Serbian element of Belgrade high school students’ networks of identities is unshaken, but that their English teachers have a central role in shaping their identities. The data was compiled using two research methods – a questionnaire completed by the students and an interview done with their English teachers. The study incorporated 158 third- and fourth-grade students from the Sixth and Fifth Belgrade High School and three teachers. The analysis of the responses confirms the hypotheses, with special emphasis on the fact that the teachers are responsible for the formation of the students’ identities. However, the data also reveals the existence of a small but distinct and vociferous minority of students who identify themselves with the English speech community. Therefore, not only should ELT practitioners in Serbia work on developing the learners’ critical thinking skills and introducing world Englishes into the classroom, but they should also attune their approach to students with both instrumental and integrative motivation.