Voices from the Margins: A Phenomenological Study of Technical-Vocational-Livelihood Students’ Lived Experiences of Disengagement from Language Learning
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64612/ijiv.v2i3.109Keywords:
language disengagement, linguistic justice, phenomenology, educational marginalization, pedagogyAbstract
Language disengagement among Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) students is not simply a matter of low motivation but a complex response to structural, emotional, and sociocultural conditions within the classroom. This study, grounded in Self-Determination Theory, Sociocultural Theory, and Emotional Intelligence, explores the lived experiences of fifteen TVL learners through phenomenological interviews and reflexive thematic analysis. Findings reveal that disengagement often stems from exclusionary pedagogies, curriculum mismatches, and symbolic violence that position students as linguistically inferior, leading to feelings of shame, silence, and alienation. Rather than passive withdrawal, students’ disengagement reflects an active negotiation of identity and resistance to rigid, top-down instruction that fails to recognize their vocational aspirations. At the same time, learners express a pragmatic orientation toward language learning, viewing English proficiency as a tool for employment and economic mobility rather than academic success. These insights challenge deficit-based narratives and highlight the need for a reimagined, justice-oriented approach to language education—one that affirms students’ identities, aligns with vocational contexts, and promotes “linguistic justice-by-design” as a foundation for inclusive and meaningful learning.
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