This article presents a qualitative study exploring how eleventh-grade EFL students in a Colombian private school construct their linguistic identities through discursive positioning practices. In the context of language standardization, students negotiate their identities amid tensions between institutional frameworks and actual discursive practices. Drawing on discourse analysis, positioning theory, conversational analysis, and speech acts theory, the study reveals the struggle between an imagined ideal of English proficiency and learners’ lived experiences. Findings highlight how institutional discourses influence students’ perceptions of themselves and others, fostering both conformity and resistance. The implications emphasize the need for socially responsible language education practices that challenge hegemonic ideologies and empower learners to redefine their linguistic identities.