Who and What Counts as a Legitimate Teacher Beyond the Formal Classroom?: The Identit(ies) of Volunteer ESOL Teachers in Context

Description

Research demonstrates how the continuous reliance on the mythology of ‘native-ness’ as an inherent teaching skill, alongside the persistent ‘native/non-native speaker’ binary, continues to (negatively) shape the experiences who identify as bi/multi/plurilingual within the English Language Teaching community (Selvi et al., 2024). In recent years, the importance of understanding language teacher identity has gained significant attention, with scholars advocating for more realistic and holistic recognitions of teachers’ professional roles and personal identit(ies) (Yazan et al., 2023; Barkhuizen, 2017). Yet, little scholarly attention has been paid to how the identit(ies) of volunteer teachers working in non-formal English language learning settings are constructed and negotiated, making this a notably under-researched area within the ELT field.

This qualitative research study aimed to explore how teacher identity, teaching practice and language use intersect within an English-dominant, non-formal language learning setting, by examining the lived experiences of volunteer language teachers in the context of the adult classroom, situating these within broader, problematic discourses in the English Language Teaching field. From a methodological perspective, this study relied on the use of linguistic portraits, focus groups, interviews, a questionnaire, and a self-assessment template, that allowed for the investigation of the characteristics, ideologies, and practices that shape the identit(ies) and membership of English language practitioners in an non-formal language learning setting in Belfast, Northern Ireland (Van Leeuwen, 2007; Lave and Wenger, 1991).

Findings obtained from a thematic and appraisal analysis suggest how the identit(ies) and perceived expertise of volunteer English language teachers in the non-formal classroom are co-constructed and situated in relation to enduring dominant language ideologies, particularly native-speakerism, that continue to influence the English Language Teaching field not only in formal settings but also in community-based, non-traditional contexts. The study reveals how the volunteer identity is informed by moral commitments that often stand in tension with dominant discourses about what constitutes a legitimate language teacher. By highlighting these dynamics, this research offers a more nuanced understanding of teacher identity in an under-studied non-formal context and provides insights into how professional legitimation is constructed, or resisted, in relation to simplistic ‘native/non-native’ classifications. in relation to the perceived status of teachers beyond ‘native’ or ‘non-native’. Overall, the study invites for a reconsideration of what we count as professional legitimation and what it means to be a teacher in community-based learning settings, raising awareness among teacher educators of persistent ideologies and the importance of identity-informed frameworks in teacher education.

Period	20 May 2026 → 21 May 2026
Event title	BERA TEAN Conference 2026
Event type	Conference
Location	Sheffield, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International