Through autoethnographic research, I conduct an intimate investigation into my experience as a sojourner college student in West Germany to see how my emotive response to that experience and its associated sense of self work to generate a deeper and more empathetic understanding of my role as an English as a second language (ESL) professional. I employ a layered account whereby I weave personal narrative, poetry, and sketching into academic writing so as to reach the emotive core of the research. I explore complex discriminatory relations in the classroom and beyond and learn how I as an ESL professional have played an active role in perpetuating power imbalances. I demonstrate the emotional process of noticing my privileged position and how a fresh mindfulness of power relations in the classroom can affect teacher instruction and reflection.
","abstract_html":"<p>Through autoethnographic research, I conduct an intimate investigation into my experience as a sojourner college student in West Germany to see how my emotive response to that experience and its associated sense of self work to generate a deeper and more empathetic understanding of my role as an English as a second language (ESL) professional. I employ a layered account whereby I weave personal narrative, poetry, and sketching into academic writing so as to reach the emotive core of the research. I explore complex discriminatory relations in the classroom and beyond and learn how I as an ESL professional have played an active role in perpetuating power imbalances. I demonstrate the emotional process of noticing my privileged position and how a fresh mindfulness of power relations in the classroom can affect teacher instruction and reflection.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Corah-Hopkins, Elizabeth Ann"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ed.D.","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Curriculum and Instruction","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Sandra Gonzales"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:00:03Z","subjects":["autoethnography","ESL","higher education","identity","power and privilege","Other Education"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1122","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Sandra Gonzales"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Corah-Hopkins, Elizabeth Ann"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-01-01T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Curriculum and Instruction"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ed.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["autoethnography","ESL","higher education","identity","power and privilege","Other Education"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1122"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Through autoethnographic research, I conduct an intimate investigation into my experience as a sojourner college student in West Germany to see how my emotive response to that experience and its associated sense of self work to generate a deeper and more empathetic understanding of my role as an English as a second language (ESL) professional. I employ a layered account whereby I weave personal narrative, poetry, and sketching into academic writing so as to reach the emotive core of the research. I explore complex discriminatory relations in the classroom and beyond and learn how I as an ESL professional have played an active role in perpetuating power imbalances. I demonstrate the emotional process of noticing my privileged position and how a fresh mindfulness of power relations in the classroom can affect teacher instruction and reflection.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Walled Fortress: An Autoethnography Of An International Student Who Became An Esl Educator"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Sandra Gonzales"],"dc:creator":["Corah-Hopkins, Elizabeth Ann"],"dc:date.available":["2014-01-01T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Through autoethnographic research, I conduct an intimate investigation into my experience as a sojourner college student in West Germany to see how my emotive response to that experience and its associated sense of self work to generate a deeper and more empathetic understanding of my role as an English as a second language (ESL) professional. I employ a layered account whereby I weave personal narrative, poetry, and sketching into academic writing so as to reach the emotive core of the research. I explore complex discriminatory relations in the classroom and beyond and learn how I as an ESL professional have played an active role in perpetuating power imbalances. I demonstrate the emotional process of noticing my privileged position and how a fresh mindfulness of power relations in the classroom can affect teacher instruction and reflection.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/1122"],"dc:subject":["autoethnography","ESL","higher education","identity","power and privilege","Other Education"],"dc:title":["The Walled Fortress: An Autoethnography Of An International Student Who Became An Esl Educator"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Curriculum and Instruction"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ed.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T06:00:03Z"}