Becoming an English language teacher: linguistic knowledge, anxieties and the shifting sense of identity

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    English Language is a fast growing and popular subject at A level but the majority of qualified secondary teachers in the UK have subject expertise and backgrounds in literature. This paper reports on interviews with seven secondary English teachers who discuss the strategies they used when taking on the responsibility of A level English Language teaching for the first time. It highlights the shifting sense of identity that these teachers felt they went through, and as such, explores some emerging issues related to identity from a narrative/personal history perspective. The study reveals that despite feelings of anxiety and low self-confidence, teachers felt that the experience had been a positive one in terms of their own developing identity as an English teacher and had impacted on other aspects of their teaching. The paper raises questions about the value of language-based work for English teachers and has implications for UK initial and continuing teacher education in English.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)416-429
    Number of pages14
    JournalLanguage and Education
    Volume29
    Issue number9
    Early online date15 Apr 2015
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Bibliographical note

    This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Language and Education on 15/4/15, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09500782.2015.1031677

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