Constructing professional identity as novice TESOL teachers in a Gulf state

Abstract

This study examines how novice female English language teachers who are LX (non-native) speakers construct their professional identities within the context of a Saudi Arabian university. The dichotomy of the ‘native’ and ‘LX practitioner’, which is often power-driven rather than skill-based, persistently leads to the marginalization of teachers who are LX speakers of English. Drawing on the narratives of four female instructors, this qualitative study explores how these teachers navigate institutional exclusion and position themselves within their professional communities. Framed by the concept of individual agency management, the findings reveal how participants employ various forms of agency – resistance, participation, and refusal – to assert and sustain a positive self-image. Despite feeling disempowered by the context, the participants each maintained a strong self-image as English teachers, which stems from various socio-cultural factors.