The Influence of Linguistic Insecurity on Thai EFL Teachers’ Teaching Performance

Abstract

Using a case study approach, this study focused on teachers’ linguistic insecurity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of Thai EFL teachers’ linguistic insecurity on their teaching performance. The data were obtained from classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. Using a purposive sampling, the participants were two Thai EFL teachers who were in-service teachers at a public secondary school in the northeastern part of Thailand. The study was conducted in the second semester of the 2020 academic year. Data were analyzed by using content analysis to identify themes. The results of the study indicated that the participants perceived that linguistic insecurity influenced their teaching performance in three aspects: lack of confidence about English knowledge, poor performance in English language teaching, and negative self-concept toward their English language ability. The discussion of findings, pedagogical implications, and recommendations for further investigations were also discussed.