Abstract
Research shows how the persistent reliance on the mythology of 'native-ness' as an inherent skill in language teaching and the problematic nature of the 'native/non-native' binary framing continues to inflict harm on those teachers who identify as bi/plurilingual within the English Language Teaching (ELT) professional community (Selvi et al., 2024; Gu et al., 2022; Wright, 2022). Consequently, this enduring issue raises the need of more inclusive and accurate frames for understanding linguistic identity.This qualitative research study investigated the positioning of monolingual, bilingual and plurilingual volunteer language teachers in the adult ESOL classroom to understand the relationship between teacher identity, teacher practice and language use in relation to this problematic (and still ongoing) phenomenon in the ELT field. Methodologically, this study relied on the use of linguistic portraits, focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires (Busch, 2012; Creswell, 2009; Fowler, 1985), alongside an adapted self-assessment template (McIvor and Jacobs, 2016), that allowed for exploring the characteristics, ideologies, and practices that shape the identit(ies) and membership of peer ESOL practitioners in an English-dominant non-formal language learning context in Belfast, Northern Ireland (Van Leeuwen, 2007; Lave and Wenger, 1991).
Findings obtained from thematic and appraisal analyses (Braun and Clarke, 2012; Martin and White, 2005) show how the identit(ies) and expertise of ESOL volunteer teachers in this context are co-constructed and situated in regard to dominant ideologies that continue to inform the ELT field, manifesting the permanence of such simplistic and divisive categorization of teacher and their positioning within the community. This research study contributed to a more nuanced understanding of ESOL teacher identity in an understudied non-formal language learning context that provides a framing on how it is shaped in the community in addition to the construction of professional legitimation in relation to teachers' perceived 'native' or 'non-native' status (Yang and Forbes, 2025; Yazan, 2018).
| Date of Award | Jul 2026 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
|
| Supervisor | Mel Engman (Supervisor) & Sultan Turkan (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Native-speakerism
- language ideologies
- teacher identity
- non-formal education
- native/non-native binary
- ESOL volunteer teachers
- professional legitimation
Cite this
- Standard