LANGUAGE, IDENTITY, AND INVESTMENT: INSIGHTS FROM CAMEROONIAN PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS IN NORTHERN CYPRUS

Abstract

This study investigates the identities and investment of seven Cameroonian ELT pre-service teachers (four undergraduates, three graduates) at an international university in Northern Cyprus. In this setting, where African students remain underrepresented in research, English functions as both the subject matter and the primary medium of instruction and interaction, particularly for international students. Drawing on interviews, classroom observations, and audio recordings, the study finds that geographical relocation substantially reshaped the participants’ identities, driven by the cultural and academic novelty of their new environment. The participants demonstrated strong investment in English, leveraging classroom and extracurricular opportunities for negotiation, self-expression, and growth. Informal social interactions further facilitated linguistic development and cultural adaptation. Nonetheless, the participants encountered linguistic alienation, cultural barriers, and institutional constraints that affected their confidence and identity construction. The graduate students, who navigated dual roles as both teachers and graduate students, reported additional pressures related to professional adaptation and accent modification within a diverse linguistic ecology. The findings underscore the interdependence of language, identity, and investment, showing how African students in multilingual EMI settings construct identities through both agency and adaptation. Implications of this study include fostering inclusive academic climates and addressing systemic challenges in English-medium instruction programs.