‘The least stable form of employment’: the professional (in)security of English Language Teaching

Abstract

ABSTRACT The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) increasingly requires advanced qualifications. While learners benefit from instruction of trained pedagogues, many professionals are nevertheless forced to accept employment incommensurate to their qualifications. Indeed, recent graduates may discover that they are unable to engage in the field for which they have prepared. This insecurity places ELT professionals into the precariat, a socioeconomic classification that includes individuals who possess vocational qualifications yet lack a secure professional identity and must accept status and income below their qualifications. Reporting on the experiences of professionals who recently completed an ELT preparation program, this article seeks to understand why some individuals remain in the field while others leave; it connects these experiences to qualities of the precariat. The article provides insight into how the prospect of professional precarity undermines the attractiveness of ELT as a profession.