From Tutors to Influencers: Content Types and Micro-Celebrification of English Teaching TikTok Creators in the Thai Context

This research paper explores the subculture of English language teaching on TikTok among Thai-language content creators who take on the role of English tutors. The study adopts a descriptive qualitative approach through content analysis, examining public data from 75 recent posts across five TikTok profiles collected in December 2022. The study’s aim is to understand how these tutors create video content and engage in the micro-celebrification process. The findings reveal four main types of frequently published videos: educational, promotional, experiential, and intimate content. Additionally, the study observes that these tutors adopt micro-celebrification practices to create relatable and credible personas across four dimensions: humor and entertainment, shared linguistic and cultural repertoires, audience interaction, and the absence of teaching credentials. The research contributes to an understanding of how informal English language tutors utilize social media platforms like TikTok to disseminate knowledge, negotiate identities, build teacher-learner relationships, and cultivate fame. These findings provide implications for teacher and professional development in the 21st century.