Multidimensional enculturation: The case of an EFL Chinese doctoral student

The present paper examines the disciplinary enculturation experience of a Chinese doctoral student. I first refer to Lave and Wenger’s (1991) concept of legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) as the theoretical background of this study. I then present the case of Fei, a doctoral student of physics in a major university in East China, focusing on his interactions with specialist texts, the supervisor, and the research community. In the discussion of the findings, I cast Fei’s experience in the light of LPP. I conclude by emphasizing the value of naturalistic case studies in extending English educators’ scope of vision of academic enculturation.