Linguistic ethnography in a multilingual workplace :|the Japanese language office at an English-Medium State University in Turkey

Abstract

This thesis study investigates the multilingual identity construction of expatriate Japanese instructors at a multilingual workplace. Focusing on two Japanese instructors’ workplace interactions at an English-medium university, the study explores the identity positions constructed in workplace interactions. The ethnographic analysis draws on audio-recordings of naturally occurring multilingual interactions, participant observations, fieldnotes, and semi-structured interviews. The findings of the study demonstrate how identities are constructed in workplace interactions through positioning oneself in relation to others.