An Edgewalker in the Land of Smiles: Negotiating Filipino Multilingual Teacher Identity in Thailand’s Transnational ELT Context
(in progress)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62819/jel.2026.1952Keywords:
teacher identity, autoethnography, transnational ELT, NNEST, translanguagingAbstract
This study explores how a Filipino educator’s experiences in Thailand reveal the complex, dialogic processes involved in constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing multilingual teacher identities in transnational English Language Teaching (ELT) contexts. By examining the interplay of personal, cultural, and institutional factors, this research highlights the significance of these identity negotiations for enhancing teaching practices and informing educational policies. Grounded in Bakhtin’s heteroglossia, the study employs a dialogic evocative autoethnography, where the researcher’s narrative is structured through three interconnected voices—the Edgewalker (lived experience), the Earthshaker (critical interlocutor), and the Enlightener (reflective analyst). Data drawn from personal recollections, journal entries, and classroom interactions are analyzed reflexively to uncover the multi-voiced tensions inherent in identity negotiation. The findings reveal five episodic dialogues that illustrate critical junctures in the teacher’s identity journey, from initial cultural dissonance and self-doubt to adaptive pedagogical strategies and eventual affirmation of “in-betweenness” as a strength. For instance, the Edgewalker’s encounter with Thai cultural norms like kreng jai initially destabilized his authority but later informed his shift toward student-centered approaches and translanguaging practices. Moreover, the study highlights the fluidity of multilingual teacher identity, which thrives on dialogue and hybridity rather than fixed categorizations. The research contributes to ELT discourse by challenging monolingual biases and advocating for policies that recognize NNESTs’ cultural and linguistic assets. Furthermore, it offers practical insights into fostering inclusive classrooms where identity tensions are reframed as opportunities for pedagogical innovation. By centering the voices of marginalized educators, this study underscores the need for a more equitable and heteroglossic understanding of teacher identity in global ELT contexts.
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