A Duoethnographic Dialogue of a Literacy-Track and an Oracy-Track Researcher About Language Learning and Teaching

ABSTRACT

This study explores the perspectives of the two authors, who have very different language backgrounds, reflecting the subtleties of first and additional language development. We distinguish between a ‘literacy-track’ (i.e. starting from written language) and an oracy track (starting from spoken language). We draw on duoethnography for our dialogic inquiry. Despite very different study and career trajectories, we reach convergence in both the theory and practice of learning and teaching and we were able to see clear parallels across trajectories. This approach led us to new insights into the nature of bilingualism in ‘wild’, i.e. naturalistic, and instructed contexts, and through our newly-discovered lens of literacy-oracy, and the concept of heteroteaching, we hope that our readers too will be encouraged to explore new understandings of their language learning and teaching journeys.

KEYWORDS:

• Duoethnography
• complexity theory
• sociocultural theory
• bilingualism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Muhammet Yaşar Yüzlü

Muhammet Yaşar Yüzlü is an Assistant Professor at the Department of English Language Teaching at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Türkiye. He has published papers on translanguaging, bilingualism, multilingualism, ELF, teacher identity and well-being, and technology in language learning.

Simon Mumford

Simon Mumford teaches academic English and works in the writing centre at Izmir University of Economics in Türkiye. He has published papers on teacher identity, academic writing, language testing, and teacher research.