Participation and language learning opportunities: a case study of two adult Iranian English learners from a positioning theory perspective

This study explores the influence of classroom positioning practices on learner participation and their access to learning opportunities in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Drawing on positioning theory and adopting a qualitative case study design with a discourse analytic approach, the study focuses on two Iranian EFL learners in a communicative classroom context. Data were collected via video recordings, field notes, and observational charts over two 90-minute sessions and were analysed using a six-step thematic analysis approach. The results showed learners’ positioning as well as interactive positioning by the teacher and peers significantly influenced participation patterns. Positive positioning boosted learner participation and inclusion, whereas negative or silencing actions such as interruption by a peer or public criticism discouraged participation by constraining learning access. The study suggests teachers’ necessity to monitor students’ as well as one’s own positioning actions to ensure participatory experience on an equal basis. The findings showed the value of micro-level analysis of talk for capturing social dynamics in EFL classrooms.