The Professional Identity of Native English‐Speaking Teachers: A Study on the Professional Development of Novice and Experienced EPIK Teachers

ABSTRACT The following paper uses Lave and Wenger's (1991) legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) as an analytical tool to explore the impact of native‐speakerism on the professional identities of Native English‐Speaking Teachers (NEST). Data collection for this mixed‐methods study included an online survey and individual interviews with ten English Program in Korea (EPIK) teachers. A descriptive analysis of the survey results and a thematic analysis of the interviews were conducted to explore the experiences that novice and experienced teachers had while employed with EPIK. The study reveals that native‐speakerism negatively impacted the professional identity of all NESTs and impeded on their LPP process. The way NESTs handled this, though, differed depending on their teaching experience. While the professional identities of novice teachers largely depended on the support of a mentor‐like co‐teacher, experienced teachers often advocated for themselves. Despite these differences, both experienced and novice teachers alike voiced frustrations with their limited sense of belonging and lack of recognition as professional teachers due to their “foreigner” label. Thus, the author argues the strengthening of NEST teacher identity within English programs requires a departure from native‐speakerism in both EPIK's hiring policies and professional development guidelines.