This paper examines L2 learning identities from a poststructuralist perspective in the context of an international school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Drawing on key frameworks in second language acquisition (SLA) research — including social identity theory, investment, communities of practice, situated learning, and Dörnyei’s L2 motivational self — the paper explores how identity shapes and is shaped by language learning. Using qualitative classroom observation as its methodological basis, the paper presents two case studies illustrating how imagined community affiliation and institutionally imposed identities affect student participation and L2 development. The findings suggest that a reorientation away from form-focused, assessment-driven pedagogy toward cooperative learning and identity-affirming approaches can meaningfully reconstruct positive L2 learner identities. The paper concludes by calling for further research into the ethical limits of poststructuralist identity promotion in contexts where Islamic identity and Western liberal paradigms intersect.
Keywords: Cooperative learning, Investment, L2 identity, SLA, Saudi Arabia, communities of practice, poststructuralism
