Faculty of Education - Theses

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11343/162

Filters

2015 1
Reset filters

Settings
Statistics
Citations
Type: Masters Coursework thesis × Start date: 2010 × End date: 2019 × Author: Johnpillai, Marjorie Helen ×

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Exploring the identities of English teachers from India and Sri Lanka teaching in Australia
    Johnpillai, Marjorie Helen ( 2015)
    This study focuses on the experiences of teachers of English from India and Sri Lanka, who have migrated to Australia and are currently teaching in Australia. According to the native speaker/nonnative speaker dichotomy (Kachru, 1990) English teachers who live and work outside native English speaking countries are labelled as Nonnative English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs). Following the impact of colonialism, a number of individuals in former colonies such as India and Sri Lanka use English as a native language/first language (L1)/mother tongue (MT)/co-first language. However, they are not considered to be native speakers (NSs) or Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) based on several factors including nationality and country of origin. Instead they are referred to as NNESTs which bears a negative connotation as the prefix ‘non’ suggests a deficit. Therefore, this study proposes a more progressive and inclusive term to address teachers who belong to this category by opting for the term Bilingual English Speaking Teacher (BEST) as used by Jenkins (2003). It is believed that using the term BEST will invest migrant teachers with more agency and a more positive linguistic identity. Studies on English teacher identity reveal that when BESTs migrate to native English speaking countries to teach English, their personal and professional identities are challenged. Therefore, this study aims to explore the identities of these teachers by asking the following questions: What are the differences in BESTs’ linguistic and teacher identities between Australia and the BEST’s home country? What challenges do BESTs face in entering the field of ELT in Australia? The study was largely qualitative, including case studies of four female English teachers (three Indian and one Sri Lankan), using a combination of semi-structured interviews, a classroom observation and narrative inquiry. The data provided insights into the challenges faced by BESTs in their journey of being ELT professionals in two different linguistic and cultural contexts. The findings indicate that there are differences in the way BESTs are perceived in their home country and in Australia. For example, linguistic and teacher identities of BESTs were stronger in the home country as opposed to Australia due to several factors such as the social status of being an English teacher in a postcolonial society, cultural discourses associated with the teacher figure and classroom dynamics such as the power relationship between teachers and students. While some of these findings are useful in creating awareness about the identity of BESTs in the Australian adult ELT context, it is also acknowledged that a larger longitudinal study with a more diverse representation could provide more insights regarding the identity of BESTs in the Australian ELT context.