Abstract
As English as a Foreign Language (EFL) becomes an integral part of secondary education curricula in many parts of the world, it is essential for educators and researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and engagement of previously under-researched groups of EFL learners. This study investigates how high school students in a small Chinese city construct their beliefs about English learning. Through an exploration of their present experiences and future orientations toward, this research provides critical insights into learners’ navigations of global English within local contexts. It also offers implications for the development of more inclusive and supportive EFL pedagogical practices.Grounded in a social constructionist paradigm, this qualitative study employs a contextual, discursive, and language ideology-based approach to understanding language learner beliefs (LLBs). These beliefs are seen as constructed through the participants’ negotiations of their self-positionings within the ideological-discursive frameworks of the English language in the world. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with thirty-two students, enriched by additional methods to document local contexts and practices. Student interviews form the core of the analysis, which was conducted using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings reveal that participants construct their beliefs about English learning within a complex, context-dependent landscape. They constantly negotiate what constitutes “real” day-to-day English learning and use while adopting various positions: as test-focused EFL learners valuing authentic English learning, time-constrained learners prioritising cost-efficiency, and non-legitimate English speakers in environments with limited usage. These perspectives highlight the enduring influence of native speaker ideology but also show how learners carve out agency within local contexts—offering insights into fostering EFL learners’ sense of ownership over English.
Regarding future orientations, participants adopt a “tentative approach” to English linguistic instrumentalism. Participants construct their beliefs about English learning based on experiences of it as both distant—linked to future “elite” opportunities—and immediate, tied to Gaokao preparation. While they anticipate greater autonomy in post-Gaokao learning, they evaluate English’s future relevance through imagined socio-spatial (im)mobility and practical utility. These findings highlight the spatial and temporal factors shaping participants’ outlooks, underscoring the need for clearer English learning pathways in areas with limited everyday use.
Overall, this study sheds light on the complex, contextual nature of EFL students’ belief constructions and experiences, illustrating their “localised agency” in navigating global English. It contributes to understanding EFL learning in less developed areas and engages with emerging sociolinguistic discussions on the global-local dynamics of English.
| Date of Award | 18 Mar 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | Matt A Kedzierski (Supervisor) & Katherin Barg (Supervisor) |