| This research focuses on the experiences of three non-native English speaking (NNES) university teaching assistants and their professional identity constructions as English teachers in an ESL context. Guided by the poststructuralist conceptualization of identity (Hall, 1990, 1995, 1996; Weedon, 1997), this qualitative study explores the ways that the three NNES teachers understand themselves as English teachers, and negotiate the intersection between multiple, intersecting, and sometimes contradictory discourses, and their professional identity constructions. Using a collective instrumental case study (Stake, 1995), I gathered data through classroom observations, interviews, written reflective logs, student questionnaires, and document review over an eight month period. I used the constant comparison method (Glaser & Strauss. 1967) to conduct qualitative analysis of the data.;The findings illustrate that, despite the shared NNES teacher identity, the three teachers' understanding of themselves as English teachers was different depending on their unique life histories, linguistic and cultural backgrounds, personality, and classroom contexts. The findings further demonstrate that they not only negotiated their given identity as a NNES teacher differently from one another, but also had to negotiate different and multiple discourses found in their classrooms and in broader society, which were directly related to their construction of professional identities as English teachers. Additionally, the findings indicate that, while the discourse of native speaker fallacy did not function as a universal force in defining the lives and professional identities of the three NNES teachers, its power was still exerted subtly and silently, affecting the teachers' thoughts and belief systems.;Based on the findings that NNES teachers' English competency was deeply related to their professional identity constructions, an implication of the study is that TESOL teacher education programs should provide safe opportunities for NNES teaching assistants and instructors to further develop their English proficiency and classroom language resources through a language improvement component built in their curriculum. Another implication draws attention to the importance of institutional support for NNES teachers in TESOL teacher education programs. Two of the NNES teachers in the present study explicitly mentioned how the supervisor's trust in NNES teachers helped them to view themselves as competent and qualified teachers of English. Given this finding, it is critical that teacher educators show their faith and confidence in NNES teachers as legitimate teachers of English by hiring more NNES teachers for available teaching positions and therefore increase their visibility in the field of TESOL. |
