The present study aims to understand how English learners make sense of themselves in relation to English and how they view the impact of English on their future lives. Grounded on the notion of imagined identity and communities (Pavlenko & Norton, 2007), the study explores how 46 Korean undergraduates marshal various non-arbitrary signs to depict their past/current and imagined English-speaker identities and communities mediated by desires and failures in their drawings and written narratives. Coupled with a narrative analysis, a multimodal analysis was employed to better understand the ways the graphic representations and written narratives orchestrate a complex set of identity attributes as multiple modes establish representative, symbolic values. The findings highlight the combination of visual and verbal means of data collection in gaining a deeper understanding of learner perspectives toward English learning as well as the imagined identities envisioned in the current globalised world. The study argues that a multimodal framework provides a milieu for learners to vocalize and reflect on their experiences, beliefs, and attitudes. Concentrating on primary emotions including desire and fear, the study captures how such emotional facets play a role in the shaping of identity and further influence learners’ pursuit of language learning.

本研究旨在了解英语学习者如何理解自己与英语的关系，以及他们如何看待英语对他们未来生活的影响。该研究基于想象的身份和社区的概念（Pavlenko 和 Norton，2007 年），探讨了 46 名韩国本科生如何编组各种非任意符号来描绘他们过去/现在和想象中的英语身份和社区他们的绘画和书面叙述。结合叙事分析，采用多模态分析来更好地理解图形表示和书面叙事如何在多种模式建立代表性的象征性价值时编排一组复杂的身份属性。研究结果强调了视觉和口头数据收集方式的结合，可以更深入地了解学习者对英语学习的看法以及当前全球化世界中所设想的想象身份。该研究认为，多模态框架为学习者表达和反思他们的经历、信念和态度提供了一个环境。该研究专注于包括欲望和恐惧在内的主要情绪，捕捉这些情绪方面如何在身份塑造中发挥作用，并进一步影响学习者对语言学习的追求。该研究认为，多模态框架为学习者表达和反思他们的经历、信念和态度提供了一个环境。该研究专注于包括欲望和恐惧在内的主要情绪，捕捉这些情绪方面如何在身份塑造中发挥作用，并进一步影响学习者对语言学习的追求。该研究认为，多模态框架为学习者表达和反思他们的经历、信念和态度提供了一个环境。该研究专注于包括欲望和恐惧在内的主要情绪，捕捉这些情绪方面如何在身份塑造中发挥作用，并进一步影响学习者对语言学习的追求。