University ESL teachers' socialization in school workplace toward teaching culturally diverse students

Employing interpretive theory, this study investigated 331 university ESL teachers' socialization in language programs for international students. Looking beyond teacher preparatory education, in-service teachers' workplace experiences are essential to study because experience is instrumental in the shaping of belief systems (Wu and Shaffer, 1987).;The current study addresses five research questions: (1) What relationship exists between teachers' workplace experience and their awareness of culture diversity? (2) What perceptions and expectations of culture diversity related to language teaching do teachers in ESL language programs hold? (3) What are the similarities and/or differences between novice and experienced teachers' perspectives on culture diversity related to language teaching? (4)What workplace variables change ESL teachers' awareness of culture diversity? What kinds of changes in teaching do ESL teachers make in order to accommodate policies, students, colleagues, the environment and other variables in ESL language programs? (5) How do ESL teachers perceive the relationship between culture diversity and language teaching? How can culture diversity awareness support or hinder language teaching?;To answer the above research questions, this study employed a mixed, two-staged methods design, consisting of a quantitative confirmatory survey to examine teachers' culture diversity awareness and intercultural experiences prior to practice, followed by a qualitative exploratory stage. Open-ended responses and interviews were used to explore the in-depth understanding of teachers' socialization processes and their perceptions of the relationship between culture diversity and language teaching.;This study found a teacher socialization trajectory, which depicts the relationship between teaching experiences and teachers' culture diversity awareness. Two intercultural experiences, "travelling and living abroad" and "sustaining a relationship with people of other cultures," are found to be influential sources shaping teachers' subjectivities. A few disadvantages but primarily advantages of culture diversity in language education are articulated, such as, (1) the relationship between student participation and culture diversity, and (2) culture diversity as impact on teachers' cultural identity.