Dialogic Learner and Identity Changes in the English Majors at a University for Liberal Arts

Abstract This is qualitative research on the development of learner identity (Norton, 2013) via “dialogic learner”—a newly-constructed teaching model. Research subjects were two groups of English majors in 2015 and 2016, each respectively in their first year at a university for liberal arts. Data collection includes learning reflections, interviews and questionnaires. Research findings demonstrate two trajectories of identity changes: The first, found in the first and second groups, was from being one-dimensional learners to becoming multi-dimensional ones; the second, emerging among the second group, was from being passive learners to becoming more active and adequately-prepared ones. This trajectory might further encourage the students in their exploration of multidimensional thinking—the early stage in the evolution of the symbolic competence (Kramsch, 2009), with the possibility of life-long self-education (Gao, 2001).