An autobiographical narrative inquiry of academic identity construction of PhD candidates through L2 authorship development

In two recent decades, academic authorship and construction of (academic) identity, more specifically in graduate bilingual/multilingual writers, have drawn attention in second language (L2) writing studies. From ‘social identity’ framework, the interconnection between bilingualism/multilingualism status and academic writing has played a very critical role in construction of their academic identity. Regarding this topic, autobiographical narratives proved a valuable methodological approach to understand deeply graduate bilingual/multilingual writers' insights about their academic authorship identity in their own words. There are very few studies that have examined the insights of individual graduate writers from their own words in narratives approach. More specifically, this issue has been less examined in English PhD programs which play a critical role in writing education. Thus, the present study, through Tajfel's (1978) social identity framework and autobiographical narratives, aims to create an effective platform for future graduate bilingual/multilingual writers' studies, in particular PhD candidates in English programs. To this end, the insights of two PhD bilingual/multilingual graduates in an English program have been examined to explore their insights about the interconnection between their bilingualism/multilingualism status and academic writing. This study also explores possible affordances and potential difficulties in constructing their academic authorship identity. The findings revealed that bilingualism/multilingualism status has influenced and constructed multiple identities for the two participant narrators in their academic writing education. Moreover, the findings readdressed the very significant role of higher education, and teaching profession that influenced and constructed academic identity of graduate writers. Finally, the current study offers some suggestions for future studies of graduate bilingual/multilingual L2 writing; it ends with implications for L2 writing education development.