Evangelical Christians and English Language Teaching

Abstract

Evangelical Christians are an enduring and growing presence in the field of English language teaching worldwide and in the TESOL organization in particular. Yet to date, hardly any empirical research has been done on this population of teachers or on the links between English teaching, religious beliefs, and missionary work. This article reports on a qualitative study of ten English language teachers‐in‐training at two evangelical Christian colleges in the United States. Using interview data, the study explores the religious beliefs of the participants and the complex, varied, and often still developing ways in which these beliefs relate to their perspectives on missionary work and on the relationship between religious faith and English language teaching (ELT). We conclude by identifying a key moral dilemma raised by the participants' values as related to several of the dominant discourses present in ELT.