Headwinds and Tailwinds of Trans‐Speakerism

Trans‐speakerism is a concept rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion that strives to empower all language speakers, teachers, and researchers irrespective of their first languages, cultures, or speakerhoods. The surplus model of trans‐speakerism (based on who one already is and who one can become ) rejects the deficit model of native‐speakerism (based on who one is linguistically or culturally not ), which respectively emphasizes strengths and perceived shortcomings in language users. In this article, I explore the factors that influence the perceptions, experiences, and dynamics of English language teaching (ELT) practitioners and researchers concerning trans‐speakerism. Via narrative interviews, I gathered data on the obstacles (headwinds) and boosts (tailwinds) that buffet trans‐speakerism from 26 participants within Japan—comprising two junior high school teachers, six senior high school teachers, seven master's students, three PhD students, three novice university professors, and five veteran university professors. After an analysis of the data, I identified three primary headwinds (linguistic, pedagogic, and academic native‐speakerism) and three prominent tailwinds (Global Englishes, intercultural awareness, and professionalism). I conclude by highlighting the need to address the headwinds and leverage the tailwinds in order to advance trans‐speakerism in applied linguistics.