Language teachers’ awareness of their accents at a Thai university

Abstract

The need to incorporate Global Englishes (GE) awareness and informed practices into English language teaching (ELT) has encouraged practitioners to revisit their language curricula and include Other Englishes in their language teaching practices, impacting how language is taught and learned. The present study explores how five non-native English language teachers at a university in Thailand are aware of and view their accents when speaking English and how such awareness is reflected in their language pedagogy for Global English Language Teaching (GELT). Findings from the in-depth semi-structured individual interviews reveal that participants are aware of their accents and have a favorable disposition toward their own accent, linking it to their heightened sense of linguistic ownership based on their nationality and race. In their pedagogical practices, such awareness enables the participants to innovate their language teaching, giving an important implication in integrating GE awareness and informed practices into ELT. The findings also demonstrate how important teachers’ accents are in encouraging and incorporating GE-informed practices into ELT.