Teaching as Being

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Teaching as being relates to a language teachers’ understanding of who they are and who they aspire to be as language teachers. These beliefs and desires form a language teacher’s identity. Language teacher identity as a construct has become an emergent trend in language teacher education and second language acquisition research. The identity of a language teacher is no longer considered as fixed and is now seen as a malleable characteristic that can be greatly enhanced through language teacher education. This can then lead to more teachers being better prepared to guide their students.

Language Teacher Identity

Sachs (2005 in Yazan, 2019 p2) defines language teacher identity as how teachers ‘construct their own ideas of ‘how to be,’ ‘how to act,’ and ‘how to understand’ their work and their place in society’. This identity influences how a teacher approaches their lessons, how they regard their students and their overall teaching beliefs. A teacher’s identity is created through the previous experiences that have occurred during the teacher’s time a student and student-teacher (Yazan, 2018). For example, the teachers that a person grows up with will have an affect on the identity that they form for themselves. If they experience a teacher with emotion, then they will be more likely to use emotion in their own teaching practice. In addition, the teaching beliefs and style of teacher trainers will also influence student teachers’ identities.     

Language Teacher Education

Language teacher identity has become an important aspect of language teacher education and is being more focused upon when considering training course curriculums. Fairley (2020) highlights that the process of learning to teach is no longer about drilling certain teaching skills or strategies but developing learner teacher’s identities. Language teachers can play vital roles in the development of their students, and it is important for teachers to have a mindset that is determined to help aside from language acquisition. For example, it is common for language teachers to work with students from marginalised backgrounds and being able to empower or promote social equality and change can be very fulfilling (Fairley, 2020). De Costa and Norton (2017) reiterate the need for teachers to promote social change and argue that ‘teacher training is important for good language teaching, and good language teaching promotes social equality’. Developing teacher identity in teacher education programs also encourages teachers to grow, seek out more professional development opportunities and increase motivation for their work (Yazan, 2018).

Pedagogical Findings

Research has shown that language teacher identity can be associated with positive pedagogical outcomes. 

• In Charles’s (2019) study of native English teachers, the participants highlighted that understanding their identity and role in the classroom helped them create a rapport with their students. Furthermore, they considered themselves cultural ambassadors which encouraged them to share their cultural knowledge alongside general English language education. 
• Fan and De Jong (2019) emphasised that critical reflection of their professional identity, facilitated non-native English-speaking teachers transition from study to the workplace. 
• Identity has also been found to relate to the commitment a language teacher has towards their work and the success of their students. Feryok and Askaribigdeli (2019) argue that a language teacher will continue to develop their identity post-study and when entering the workplace. Entering the workplace opens new challenges for a language teacher as they must deal with numerous new components (students, peers, managers, rules, and parents). It is important for a language teacher to consider the changes that occur and be aware of when they must reflect and adapt.
• Vinogradova and Ross (2019) also highlight the benefits that reflection can have on language teachers’ identity. Reflection encourages a language teacher to consider the experiences they had as a learner and compare those experiences with their current teaching practices. This can lead to links being made and an understanding of what works best.

How to become more aware of being when teaching?

• Take part in activities that encourage the reflection of previous learning experiences related to identity formation.
• Acknowledge the activity system (people/things being dealt with in the workplace) inhabited and the organisational commitment required of the language teacher.
• Join a teacher activity group and discuss the topics related to identity with peers who can facilitate professional growth.

References

Charles, Q. (2019) Black Teachers of English in South Korea: Constructing Identities as a Native English Speaker and English Language Teaching Professional. TESOL Journal, 10(4).

De Costa, P. and Norton, B. (2017) Introduction: Identity, Transdisciplinary, and the Good Language Teacher. The Modern Language Journal, 101 pp. 3-14.

Fairley, M. (2020) Conceptualizing Language Teacher Education Centred on Language Teacher Identity Development: A Competencies-Based Approach and Practical Applications. TESOL Quarterly, 54(1) pp. 1037-1064.

Fan, F. and De Jong, E. (2019) Exploring Professional Identities of Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers in the United States: A Narrative Case Study. TESOL Journal, 10(4).

Feryok, A. and Askaribigdeli, R. (2019) A Novice TESOL Teacher’s Professional Identity and Evolving Commitment. TESOL Journal, 10(4).

Vinogradova, P. and Ross, E. (2019) Fostering Volunteer ESL Teacher Identity through Reflection on Apprenticeship of Observation. TESOL Journal, 10(4).

Yazan, B. (2018) A Conceptual Framework to Understand Language Teacher Identities. Journal of Second Language Teacher Education, 1(1) pp. 21-48.

Yazan, B. (2019) Toward Identity-oriented Teacher Education: Critical Autoethnographic Narrative. TESOL Journal, 10(1) pp. 1-15.

Written by Oliver Sowden