“Nunca voy a reuniones”: características y aceptación de la membresía del docente nativo de ELE en la comunidad de práctica universitaria en China

Abstract

This article studies the understanding of native Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) teachers in China regarding their membership and positioning within the communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) where they operate professionally. Through a phenomenographic analysis, the experiences of nine native teachers in university settings are explored, showing how their work practices and the acceptance of their roles shape aspects related to their legitimate belonging in the community of practice. Main findings reveal their belonging to a subgroup marked by the 'otherness' of the context, associated with nationality. This positioning is characterized by high levels of agency within the classroom in contrast with its absence outside teaching environments. Additionally, results demonstrate processes of identity negotiation in the context of study with low degrees of conflict when compared with the existing literature. This reality highlights the dynamic and ambivalent nature of identity construction and negotiation within globalized communities of practice, emphasizing the importance of individual, cultural, and context-specific aspects as key factors shaping the characteristics of these communities.