| Research in the field TESOL has focused on the identity issues for a decade. Chinese English language learners have been regarded as high achievers in U.S. school traditionally. The neglected view has been the perspectives of Chinese English language learners themselves and their relationship with social environments in their learning process. My purpose of this case study is to conceptualization the factors influencing act Chinese English language learners' identity. Through the perspectives of students, parents, and their school teachers and counselors, conceptualization of learning English as struggle over identity, meaning, and social position, and being accepted was accomplished.;I studied with four participants who had been in the U.S. for no more than five and half years. They had finished their elementary schools in China and came to the U.S. with their parents. Six parents agreed to talk with me about their parental involvement in both China and the U.S. Twelve school teachers and two counselors share their perspectives with me. I observed Chinese English language learners seven days each in their own ethnic community after they finished school or at weekends. I observed them three days of each in their school environment such as classroom, library, gym, hallway, cafeteria and playground. My field notes and reflective journal were my important source of data.;I interpreted and presented my findings in terms of themes. There were six themes evolved from data: learning English in China and U.S. Secondary School, Being Pressured to School Success, Societal Status of Chinese ELLs in Secondary school, Acquiring Societal Status in the U.S., Maintaining identity in Chinese Community, Linguistic and Cultural Navigation in the Borderlands. Through these themes, the linguistic, cultural, societal, community, and geographical factors were found that influence the identity of Chinese English language learners. |
