Identity, voice and agency in two EAL doctoral writing contexts

Abstract

Abstract Writing is central to the process of developing a scholarly identity and fundamental to the doctoral experience. Writing a PhD thesis in a second (L2) language involves considerable challenge since L2 writers need to master the academic literacy skills that support reading and writing complex texts. This paper explores that challenge in the writing experiences of two English as an Additional Language (EAL) doctoral candidates, Morena and Diego. The discussion draws on an online conversation about writing amongst Morena, Diego and Sara, a teacher of EAL writing and doctoral education researcher. Our conversation revolved around three central themes - identity, voice and agency – and their role in doctoral writing. After discussing related research, we present excerpts from our conversations that suggest how identity, voice and agency impacted on Morena and Diego’s writing experiences. We also consider affordances and constraints in Morena’s and Diego’s social and academic contexts and the opportunities they engaged with. We conclude by highlighting the challenges associated with developing a confident scholarly voice in a second language and recommend adopting a social approach to scholarly writing which supports text-based interactions amongst PhD peers, more experienced others and supervisors.