The COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant challenges for educators, particularly English language teachers, whose professional and personal wellbeing have been affected in various ways. This review paper synthesizes empirical studies published between 2020 and 2022 to examine English language teachers’ wellbeing during the pandemic. For this, I have employed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta- Analysis (PRISMA) framework for critically analyzing the studies (n=30). I identified some key areas of professional challenges that include(a) increased workload, (b) lack of technological preparedness, (c) diminished social interactions; (d) lack of opportunities, for enhanced digital literacy and the development of innovative teaching methods; and (e) absence of effective coping strategies, including peer support, self-care routines, and institutional interventions. These findings can contribute to the broader conversation on teacher resilience by highlighting actionable insights for improving well-being through coping even in the crisis contexts like the pandemic. The existing literature has contributed as an evidence-based interventions by providing a deeper understanding of the unique challenges faced by English teachers. It is also highlighting the opportunities experienced by English teachers during the pandemic. The support and lesson learned can be an instrumental to build teacher resilience, ensuring their sustained effectiveness in navigating future challenges for their better personal and professional wellbeing.
This study aimed at examining the role of English teachers in supporting inclusive education for visually impaired (VI) learners in English Language Teaching (ELT). It adopted narrative inquiry as a research method and Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivist theory (1978) to investigate how teachers modify lesson plans, materials, and classroom settings to address the cognitive and affective needs of year (class) VI learners. Three themes emerged from the data obtained from the interviews, reflective journals, and classroom observations, namely, assistive technologies, emotional well-being and working with peers, and instruction of adaptive techniques. The findings suggest that faculty development, resource availability, and policies support creating inclusive classrooms for visually impaired students for their academic and emotional growth.
In recent years, an increasing number of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks centered on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been developed. However, many emphasize global issues, leading to ―SDGs burnout as students struggle to relate to the content meaningfully. This study investigates the effectiveness of integrating domestic and international human rights topics into SDGs-related materials to increase student engagement and shape perceptions of their country‘s role in addressing SDGs-related issues. Over a fifteen-week semester, 58 lower-intermediate EFL students in Japan designed and taught lessons using SDGs-related articles featuring local and global human rights themes. Pre- and poststudy questionnaires measured changes in students‘ attitudes toward Japan‘s role in addressing domestic and international SDGs-related issues, as well as their interest and connection to the materials. Results showed a statistically significant increase in interest and relatability when domestic issues were included. While perspectives on Japan‘s domestic role remained largely unchanged, possibly due to a ceiling eff ect, views on its international role increased slightly, although not significantly. Qualitative responses identified empathy, awareness, and exposure to diverse perspectives as key factors contributing to interest and relatability. These findings suggest integrating local and global content may sustain student engagement and mitigate SDGs burnout.
In the context of the prevalent gender disparity in Nepal, the empowerment of employed women remains crucial, as only a limited number of women hold senior roles. Despite the influential impact of English on global employability and career advancement, its role in shaping women’s workplace experiences in Nepal has remained underexplored. This study explored how employed women describe their navigation of the workplace experience and how English proficiency influences their professional advancement. As narrative research, I conducted two rounds of informal interviews with four purposively sampled senior-level women from diverse fi elds. I then analyzed their responses, categorizing them into relevant themes and sub-themes, and examined them through Sen’s Capability Approach. The findings indicate that while women appreciate their roles, they face certain Barriers to excelling/ excellence, such as workplace biases and societal expectations. Additionally, English proficiency as a capability of employed women serves as a catalyst for their professionalism, both enabling opportunities and presenting obstacles, with limited proficiency resulting in inequalities. The study recommends the need for equitable workplace practices, assessing workplace dynamics, and acknowledging the role of English language proficiency for women’s well-being, thereby fostering inclusivity and gender equity in professional settings.
Digital citizenship has emerged as an important aspect of English language teaching (ELT) in the 21st century. This study investigates the digital citizenship skills of EFL students at private universities in Bangladesh as well as the strategies teachers use to help them develop their skills. In this study, a mixed-methods approach was followed. The quantitative data were collected from 123 under graduate EFL students from the department of English of three private universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh, through a Likert-scale survey evaluating their proficiency in information and data literacy, communication, content creation, digital safety, and problem-solving. Qualitative data were collected from 13 EFL teachers from four private universities in Bangladesh through an online qualitative survey using a Google Form, focusing on pedagogical strategies for promoting digital citizenship. The findings indicate that the students demonstrate moderate competency, with the highest scores in digital safety (3.73/5) and the lowest in digital content creation (3.37/5). Besides, no significant differences were found between male and female participants in total scores and in subscale scores in the digital competence scale. The findings also show that the teachers’ instructions include critical source evaluation of information and digital content, use of collaborative digital tools, practice of online responsibilities and digital etiquette, development and management of digital identity, ethical use of information and digital content, and protection of personal information and student well-being, all aligned with the Dig Comp 2.2: The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens. However, gaps remain in terms of content creation, improved collaboration tools, and methodological guidance on institutional digital literacy policies. This study emphasizes the need for structural integration of digital citizenship in EFL curricula, faculty training, and institutional support to better prepare students for academic and professional digital environments.
This qualitative study explores how South Asian English Language Teachers (ELTs) in Japan construct and negotiate professional legitimacy in the context of ongoing native speakerism, racialized assumptions, and shifting institutional practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 22 South Asian ELTs working across diverse educational settings, the research employs a narrative inquiry and thematic analysis to explore how these educators construct and navigate their professional identities. The findings revealed that professional legitimacy is shaped not only by linguistic competency and teaching qualifications but also deeply influenced by perceptions of race, country of origin, and accent. While some teachers face ongoing challenges related to native-speakerism, institutional biases, and ambivalence regarding their status, some actively reclaimed their professional identities by embracing localized English varieties and positioning themselves as legitimate, culturally responsive educators. The policy shifts and institutional openness for diversity off er signs of hope, but the monolingual ideologies and native speaker hierarchies remain entrenched in Japan’s ELT landscape. The study concludes that professional identity formation for South Asian ELTs is a dynamic process of resistance, adaptation, and self-assertion, and underscores the need for systemic change to support genuine inclusion and professional recognition of diverse ELTs.
Reflective practice is central to teacher growth in English Language Teaching (ELT), yet many well-known models offered by Schön (1983), Kolb (1984), Gibbs (1988), Wallace (1991), and Moon (1999, 2004) struggle to capture the complex and multilingual realities of classrooms in Nepal. Farrell (2016) and Richards and Farrell (2005) have argued that reflection is especially vital in teacher professional development, but context-sensitive frameworks remain limited. This article introduces the CARER-TAQDL framework as a dialogic alternative. CARER (Concept, Application, Relevance, Evaluation, Reflection) supports teachers in structuring classroom decision-making, while TAQDL (Topic, Application/Action, Question, Decision, Learning) guides early career researchers in inquiry and project-based learning. Developed during doctoral study and later tested in the author’s own teaching, faculty workshops and research supervision, the framework has shown promise in making reflection more flexible, cyclical, and collaborative. Although grounded in Nepal, CARER-TAQDL also offers insights for other multilingual or resource challenged contexts. Practical examples are included to show how the framework can be used for reflective journals, practicum debriefs, and small-scale research design. By bridging pedagogy and inquiry, CARER-TAQDL aims to support teachers and researchers in navigating both classroom challenges and academic demands.
Literacy is key to enabling everyone to participate in, and contribute to, society. Education is considered a human right and reading ability an issue of social justice, linked negatively with lifelong disadvantage. Recognizing the scarcity of research into the practice of teaching reading in schools in Nepal, this study aims to provide evidence to show that learning to read in English is facilitated by knowledge of phonic sounds, blending and decoding. Through a participatory action research design, the impact of phonics instruction on the reading ability of students in rural schools in Lamjung district of Nepal is tracked. Comparisons between progress of students taught by different teaching methods suggest support for the premise that phonics instruction is an effective method of raising reading attainment, enabling all students to read. Factors affecting reading progress are considered through analysis of the data. Perceived barriers to reading proficiency such as negative home situation, low socioeconomic status and gender are shown to be mitigated by effective phonics instruction. Teacher motivation and expertise alongside student attendance are found to be the main determinants of success.
This article explores the challenges and pedagogical implications of teaching English to indigenous learners in India, who comprise approximately 8.25 percent of the nation's population. Situated within socio-linguistic and cultural diversity, the study argues that English instruction for these communities is best understood through an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) framework rather than as English as a Second Language (ESL). Emphasising the role of English as a vehicle for social mobility and economic opportunity, the paper highlights the necessity of inclusive English Language Teaching (ELT) policies that account for learners' linguistic and cultural contexts. It critiques prevailing assumptions about Mother Tongue Interference and advocates for the integration of indigenous lexical and syntactic features within English teaching materials. The article proposes pedagogical strategies and text-based interventions aimed at bridging linguistic gaps while acknowledging the learners' native languages as valuable educational resources. These proposed pedagogical strategies aim to contribute to more equitable ELT practices that empower marginalized indigenous learners to use English eff ectively as a means of communication and participation in broader societal domains.
The study explores English language teachers’ perceived and enacted experiences of their professional agency in the educational environment in Nepal. Employing phenomenology as a research method and subscribing to the ecological model of teacher agency, this article strives to comprehend the lived experiences of four purposively selected participants from two colleges in Chitwan through in-depth interviews. The findings reveal the evolving nature of teaching, marked by the increasing use of technology in the educational environment. English language teachers shift to interactive approaches, such as discussion, group work, and the use of videos. During times of unprecedented challenges, teachers adapted through constant learning and making real-world decisions. It also portrays teachers as role models and agents of change, who have control over their own teaching and learning activities by making self-directed decisions about lesson planning, guiding learners, and ensuring timely course completion. The article implies that institutions can create an environment that empowers teachers, fosters professional growth, and enhances language learning outcomes. Concluding, empowering teacher agency can lead to more adaptive and innovative teaching and learning practices.
Reflective practice aims to aid the growth of any teacher while pursuing their career as a target language teacher. The study generated initial themes on the different phenomenal impacts of reflective practice on teaching second language and solving issues in the EFL classrooms. Then my accounts as a student of teacher education mirrored the reinforcement of motivation, teacher identity, and resilience while addressing my classroom puzzles. Finally, the article divulged the contributions of reflection in teaching target language, critically analyzing the researcher’s personal experience of everyday challenges of teaching a second language and interpreting its connection to the learning outcomes of the learners and myself as an EFL teacher. To bring this insider knowledge of the teachers in Bangladeshi EFL classrooms, the research used Autoethnography as a qualitative research method, where the researcher became the participant, recording the self-narratives over two years during the master’s degree in English Language Education, particularly six months of teacher development and six months of Action Research. Thus, my paper envisions the topic of teachers’ reflective practices for wider reach, contributing not only to the development of a teaching pedagogy but also to the incorporation of Reflective Practice in the education of teachers’ professional programs.
After the emergence of Chat GPT, countries like Bangladesh have seen a dramatic rise in the integration of a wide array of chatbots in diverse academic and administrative activities at the tertiary level. Although a similar rise can be noted in the expanding body of research exploring students’ utilization of these tools, research initiatives to unravel the teachers’ experiences during this new age of AI integration mostly remain unexplored. Nevertheless, teachers remain one of the key figures in determining the acceptance and penetration of all technological tools in tertiary classrooms. Keeping the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in mind, the thematic analysis includes reflections of 16 tertiary-level teachers with an aim to investigate the perceptions developed during the mass utilization of these tools in the context. Interview transcripts indicate minimal difficulty experienced by research participants while using these chatbots for different administrative and academic activities. They also identify productivity, accessibility, and a reduction of cognitive overload as the rationale behind them leaning toward these possible integration. These findings advocate a revision ofthe existing institutional provisions that do very little in paving the way for technology integration in Bangladeshi classrooms.
Teaching the English language, promoting multilingualism is a challenging job for English as foreign language (EFL) teachers. They need to teach the English language on one hand and promote multilingualism on the other. In this scenario, this article explores how EFL teachers perceive teaching the English language in multilingual contexts and how they promote and preserve multilingualism in their classrooms. For this purpose, data were collected through in-depth interviews with three purposively selected secondary-level EFL teachers teaching in three different districts in Nepal. After analyzing the data using the thematic analysis method, it was found that EFL teachers focus on promoting the English language since teaching and learning English opens the doors for a host of opportunities, they promote multilingualism giving space to students' mother tongues in English classes, and they address the linguistic diversity found in their classroom and promote multilingualism in the course of teaching English with the help of trans language pedagogy.
This article critically reflects on the educational journeys of two students and educators, from their experiences with school-level English education in Nepal to their first year of PhD studies in the United States. This reflection is informed by the methodological insights of collaborative autoethnography (CAE), as both authors share similar educational experiences. The theoretical concepts used in the reflection are unlearning and transfer. The authors‘ joint reflection identify es seven transitions involving unlearning and transferring. Based on these seven transitions, they derive seven key teaching-learning insights and propose a pedagogy grounded in a critical self-inquiry model. Therefore, the article explores innovative educational theories of unlearning and transfer in teaching and learning, while also opening avenues for further research.
This article explains the thinking behind my English 102 syllabus design and the choices I made to help students become better writers. I recently surveyed a cohort of undergraduate students on what they would like me to include in the syllabus and how I should teach and guide them in the class to meet their needs. Considering most of their ideas and concerns, I designed this syllabus to be more student-friendly by making it more welcoming and accessible to promote active student participation in my classroom. This syllabus focuses on flexibility and a student-centered approach adapting diverse learning styles. This article also discusses why I encouraged language diversity in students’ writing, what the insights are behind preparing the assignments, and how the grading mechanisms I follow will provide clarity and fairness to the students. By highlighting creative expression and prioritizing critical thinking over perfect grammar, this research also encourages the various ways people communicate their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and creativity using multimodal technology to reflect modern communication practices as well. The essay is not simply about the syllabus but also my learning process as I developed it to show reflection and growth. The course centers on the interdisciplinary theme of Animal Studies, linking writing to real-world contexts to encourage critical thinking across subjects. By contrasting this approach with more rigid curricula in Nepal, I highlight the value of teacher autonomy and flexible design in supporting student learning. This article contributes to conversations about inclusive and responsive pedagogy.
Despite the fact that reading comprehension is crucial for academic success not much research has been done on the best teaching methods for Nepali high school students especially in private schools where resources and learning environments may differ from those in public ones. This action research fulfills this gap by investigating the impact of the Collaborative SQ3R strategy on the reading comprehension skills of Grade 9 and 10 students in a private secondary school in Kathmandu. Employing a quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design, the research measured comprehension gains quantitatively and explored student perceptions qualitatively. Results reveal a substantial improvement in reading comprehension among students who engaged in the Collaborative SQ3R method compared to those receiving traditional instruction. After a thorough analysis, the research supports the widespread adoption of the Collaborative SQ3R strategy as a valuable pedagogical tool for improving literacy outcomes and better preparing Nepalese students for academic and real-world challenges.
Writing is essential for documenting ideas, feelings and information. Students submit assigned tasks in written forms, which teachers mark for errors using codes to prevent their recurrence in the future. The symbols teachers use to provide written feedback should help improve student writing. However, most students’ fail to understand such symbols. Consequently, they pay less attention to the feedback, and continue to make similar mistakes in their subsequent writings. This qualitative study aimed to explore various forms of codes used by 10 English language teachers teaching in grades 11/12 in diff erent schools in Kavrepalanchok district of Bagmati Province. The study found that students did not understand most of the correction codes used by teachers, nor did they contact the teachers morever for clarifi cation. This lack of interaction hindered the eff ectiveness of these codes in improving writing. Teachers did not orient students about such codes, and most students did not seek help to understand them. It was recommended that the teacher use context-based techniques for scoring and providing written corrective feedback.
