IDENTITY IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS: TOWARDS A SYSTEMATIZATION OF THE CONCEPT

Abstract Identity is currently a very important linguistic and social theme that comprehends relevant discussions in Applied Linguistics (REIS et al., 2011). Researches developed under different theoretical-methodological orientations present the concept and its characterizations in distinct ways. Since it is a phenomenon instated in culture, the range of definitions and examples produced by various studies increases the identity’s configuration. All this concept expansion seems significant to indicate a possible systematization to analyse, scientifically, the construct in the universe of language-mediated social relations. From these perspectives, this paper aims to systematize theoretical-methodological paths of the concept disseminated in Applied Linguistics studies. For this purpose, it uses the interdisciplinary aspects of the scientific research field, in order to present some characteristics of the identity and then discuss some approaches used in Applied Linguistics research, including taxonomic proposals for future analyses.