The Investments and Identities of In-Service Non-native English Teachers That Relate to Their Teaching Careers

Abstract

With globalisation, in-service non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) from English as foreign language settings, are obtaining their further professional development from English-speaking countries. However, there seems to be little research on these in-service teachers’ investments (a concept that builds on motivation), identities and views in studying in English-speaking contexts. This research aims to contribute knowledge to this gap by examining the investments, identities and perceptions of 14 in-service teachers of English from Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China, in the United Kingdom. Data were obtained mainly from the participants’ individual responses to interview questions. Among others, findings suggest that although the participants invested in English, with some thinking that they could learn listening and speaking, vocabulary and English culture better from native English speakers (NESs), and many liked to socialise with NESs, many did not seek help from NESs for their written assignments because NESs may also have problems with writing. Since they were concurrently invested in teaching, they also invested in their Master’s degree in teaching and preferred to be in groups with both non-native English speakers (NNESs) and NESs to learn about various teaching methods. The majority seem to disinvest from Western classroom discourse by remaining silent in class. These findings suggest that the participants prioritize their investments, that in their identities as NNESs, there are perceived power relations with NESs, and that the identity of NNESs as proficient English speakers is increasing in prominence. The study suggests introducing empowering discourses and discussions that involve NNESTs as sources of information.