“Discovering World Englishes has lessened my burden in English language education”

The growth of World Englishes (WE) in Applied Linguistics has provided important contributions to English language education and teacher professional development. Critical frameworks in WE have raised awareness and inspired knowledge creation about linguistic diversity in contexts where local teachers have been marginalized for being non-native speakers of English. Contributing to the understanding of English use and English language education dynamics in the expanding circle, this study reports the findings of a qualitative study examining how a group of ten in-service Colombian English teachers appropriated the WE paradigm through their participation in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Data included academic background, professional information, posts in online forums, and final reflections. Findings show that English teachers challenged their beliefs and the hegemonic national language education policy practices that have perpetuated discriminatory practices such as native speakerism and the marginalization of certain English varieties. Participants underscore how WE allowed them to reclaim their English language ownership and legitimacy as trans-speakers of English. The study argues that WE is a useful lens for advancing the discourse of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in language education, while underscoring the need to include WE in the professional development of English teachers in peripheral contexts.