Middle School English Teachers’ Cultural Identity in Minority Area: A Case Study of Trilingual Teachers of Ethnic Mongol Schools in China

Abstract

Cultural identity is increasingly seen as a relevant outcome of language learning or teaching beyond intercultural communicative competence. In the process of learning and using languages of Mongolian (mother tongue), Chinese and English, trilingual teachers in ethnic areas in China have unique cultural identity. Taking junior high school trilingual teachers in Inner Mongolia as an example, a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews were conducted based on the two central questions: how cultural identity is constructed and what factors contribute to its differentiation. The results show that the cultural identity of trilingual teachers is characterized by dynamism, development and complexity. The cultural identity of trilingual teachers in ethnic areas is reflected in novice teachers’ stronger dual and multicultural identity compared to experienced teachers. Furthermore, teachers’ linguistic practices and professional experience significantly shape trilingual teachers’ cultural identity formation. These findings offer valuable implications for professional development of trilingual educators in China’s ethnic minority regions and cultural identity training for L2 teachers globally.