Expatriate ELT teachers in Korea: participation and sense of belonging

Abstract

This study investigated the participation and sense of belonging in the local English teaching community amongst expatriate native English-speaking teachers (NESTs). Participation theory was adopted as a theoretical framework. Several types of data were collected, including individual interviews with 10 NESTs, online open responses with 289 NESTs, and a focus group interview with 5 non-native English-speaking teachers (NNESTs). Analysis of these data suggests that NESTs’ participation and sense of belonging in the local English-teaching community depend heavily on (a) the extent of interaction with NNESTs, and (b) NESTs’ professional relationships with NNESTs. Support systems for NESTs and mediators between NESTs and NNESTs are needed so that NESTs experience legitimate peripheral participation and feel a sense of belonging.