Effects of heteronormativity on Cypriot EFL classroom participation: students’ experiences

Abstract

One of the areas of greatest interest in Applied Linguistics in the field of language and sexuality is heteronormativity and its persistence in the EFL classroom. Heteronormativity informs the Cypriot EFL classroom and reinforces the belief that students fall into two distinct genders, which exist in order to fulfil complementary roles, while gay-related topics, suggestions or references are largely ignored. The primary aim of this study is to explore if and how heteronormativity hinders gay EFL students’ classroom participation by employing semi-structured interviews. With the use of the snowball sampling technique, data had been collected from 18 alumni and through a thematic analysis their EFL learning experiences in the classroom were examined. Analysis shows that both internal and external factors manifested through fear of disclosure, stereotypical attitudes, and internalised homophobia reinforce heteronormativity, while they hinder gay students’ classroom participation by silencing and excluding them from the classroom community.