The study has examined in depth an EFL learner’s long-term development of ESP reading literacy and richly describes the reader’s inner voice. Among other things, the life story has revealed the critical link between literacy and the negotiation of identity. Wen-Li’s early literacy development, for instance, has been involved with the identity acquired in the primary Discourse. On the other hand, in the work site, her ESP reading proficiency varied with different positions in the community. To be more specific, she experienced uncertainties,
confusions, and challenges in the periphery while in the core, she manifested high level proficiency of ESP reading along with her full membership.
The findings may have some important implications for ESP reading theory and ESP reading pedagogy. First of all, as illuminated by Wen-Li’s narrative, the development of ESP reading is intertwined with the reader’s identity formation. So far, reader identity has been underdeveloped and underrepresented. In spite of Gee’s (2001b) great emphasis on identity, he does not give a full picture of the concept. A more comprehensive reading theory is therefore in need to help depict ESP reader’s identity. To say the least, the theory should allow us to view ESP reading as a process of how a novice reader becomes an expert, to perceive the ESP reader as a human agent capable of negotiating identities and investment, to perceive the Discourse periphery as an important learning site, and to distinguish peripheral reading experience and marginal reading experience.
In addition, the study provides convincing evidence that ESP reading is not an individual activity in which autonomous meanings are retrieved from the text. Rather, it is a long term developmental process involving the negotiation of identities. Therefore, ESP teachers are encouraged to provide ESP readers with ample opportunities for negotiation of meanings and identities. More importantly, ESP teachers need to encourage learners to reflect their reading histories and to envision their future professional development in diaries or journals, for instance. Awareness of one’s position and orientation may help inexperienced ESP readers defy hardship in the boundary, thereby rendering their non-participation consequential and peripheral.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was supported by a grant from National Science Council (NSC-2410-H-039-004). Many thanks are due to the two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments on an earlier draft.
Part of the paper was presented in 2008 International Conference on English Education at Shih Chien University in Taipei.
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