An edgewalker in the land of smiles: Negotiating Filipino multilingual teacher identity in Thailand’s transnational ELT context

Rejoice Immanuel Eljoen Merelos

doi:10.62819/jel.2026.1952

Authors

Rejoice Immanuel Eljoen Merelos Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62819/jel.2026.1952

Keywords:

autoethnography, NNEST, teacher identity, translanguaging, transnational ELT

Abstract

This study explores the dialogic construction of a Filipino multilingual teacher’s identity in a Thai transnational English language teaching (ELT) context. Employing a dialogic evocative autoethnography, the research externalizes the researcher’s internal monologue into three voices—the Edgewalker, Earthshaker, and Enlightener—to rigorously analyze personal experience. The data corpus comprises digital reflective journals, student feedback, and classroom artifacts collected over two semesters. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to uncover the multi-voiced tensions inherent in identity negotiation. The findings were presented through four episodic dialogues that illustrate critical junctures: navigating initial cultural dissonance, balancing pedagogical authority with student rapport, employing translanguaging to overcome language barriers, and developing dialogic resilience. The study revealed that non-native English-speaking teacher (NNEST) identity thrives on cultural hybridity and ongoing negotiation rather than fixed categorizations. It contributes to ELT discourse by challenging monolingual biases and advocating for context-responsive pedagogies that reframe identity tensions into opportunities for pedagogical innovation.

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