Criticality, Agency, and Language Teacher Identities

An interrogation of how language teachers’ identities are constructed and negotiated in today’s ever-changing global contexts.

This book interrogates language teacher identity construction, negotiation, and meaning-making in today's ever-changing global contexts.

By exploring language teacher identity through a critical lens and drawing on insights from language teachers and language teacher educators, it provides a deep understanding of how identity construction unfolds and transforms teaching practices.

Its chapters use a wide range of methodologies and theoretical perspectives, including World Englishes, raciolinguistics, postcolonial theory and auto-ethnography. This wealth of international case studies moves beyond simply contrasting native and non-native speaking teachers to instead highlight their intersectional identities. This approach foregrounds and problematizes the power imbalances woven into language teaching and teacher education, documenting ways in which language teachers can advocate for themselves, their profession, students, families, and their communities. It also suggests ways of sharing innovative critical approaches at the intersection of LTI, agency, and today's complex socio-political and socio-historical contexts.