It’s not what we say but how we say it: The use of their linguistic repertoire by two non-native English-speaking teachers in the EFL classroom in Thailand

Abstract

The primary goal of this study was to analyze the use of the linguistic repertoire of non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs) in the EFL classroom. This was done through a study of two EFL teachers in Thailand. Results show that while teachers were partially aware of the factors that impacted what language they chose for specific classroom tasks, it was often their perceptions of their own proficiency that played the largest role. Students, in turn, often responded in the same language that teachers used. This led to the conclusion that NNESTs’ sense of identity as L2 users as well as their sense of agency as professional language instructors should be promoted to enhance greater use of the target language (TL) in the classroom.