Keywords
pre-service teacher education
language development
intercultural communicative competence
ELT
identity-affirming pedagogy
non-native English speaking teachers
How to Cite
Abstract
This article examines the intersecting roles of cultural identity and language development in pre-service English language teacher education. The study investigates how pre- service English teachers’ existing cultural identities interact with target language acquisition, professional identity formation, and intercultural communicative competence development. A mixed-methods study was conducted with 86 pre-service English teachers at three higher education institutions in Uzbekistan, combining a language proficiency assessment, an intercultural sensitivity inventory, and semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that cultural identity functions simultaneously as a resource and a constraint in language development: participants whose cultural identity was affirmed within the pedagogical environment demonstrated statistically significantly higher gains in productive language skills and intercultural communicative competence than those whose identity was marginalised or ignored. The article proposes an Integrative Cultural Identity Framework (ICIF) for pre-service ELT programmes and draws out implications for curriculum design, materials development, and teacher educator practice.References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Nasibahon Jakbarova (Author)