BECOMING AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER IN NEPAL: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHIC JOURNEY

Abstract

In this study, I have critically explored, reflected on, and (re)examined the journey of learning and teaching English as my lived experience. For this, I used autoethnography as a research methodology and writing of narratives as a method of inquiry under a multi-paradigmatic research design space. I have employed interpretivism, criticalism, and postmodernism as my main research paradigms. The study aimed at exploring my experiences as a learner and teacher of the English language, transforming myself through education. I have employed transformative and socio-cultural learning theories as my theoretical referents to explore my experiences in this study. The journey has covered my becoming of an English teacher with personal and professional transformation from an under-resourced rural environment to the present state. In the initial stage my career, I would think that teaching English was all about transmitting knowledge to students. Similarly, as a learner, I would memorize teacher given study materials to prove myself a good learner. However, my ways of being and becoming (ontology), knowing (epistemology), and valuing gradually transformed to critically viewing my learning and teaching of English and have became a teacher with transformative sensibility through the exposure of my MPhil studies and ELT seminars, workshops, and training sessions. This research was oriented to an inquiry into the problems of teacher-centered teaching due to under-resourced rural environments to seek possible ways of improving my pedagogical practices through motivation, extended exposure to ELT approaches and methods in higher studies, seminars, and training sessions envisioning holistic English language learning and teaching that is authentic and empowering. In the process of my self-reflection, I explored that my professional identity as a teacher is an ongoing journey that gives me energy in my motivation towards teaching English. I realized that I am a product of inspiration both from my parents and teachers along with the confidence from my inner self. Seeing my English teachers enjoying more prosperous lives and having good social reputation made me realize the importance of English at my school then. This was also explored as one prominent reason driving me to become an English language teacher. The findings show that examination grades and rural under-resourced contexts do not impede students from becoming transforming teachers. They can also develop themselves as transforming English teachers through motivation, self-initiation, and active involvement in organizations that promote training, seminars, and workshops. This profound synthesis of my experiences empowering myself helped to explore and transform my values, beliefs, and practices of becoming a teacher. I believe that my becoming a teacher has helped me promote my professional practices as an English language teacher with a passion for empowering my readers to reflect on their own personal and professional identities.