Nonnative English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs)

Scholars such as Donald L. Rubin, Barbara S. Plakans, Consolata N. Mutua, and Monika Shehi reminded the English Language Teaching (ELT) field that a stigmatic pattern exists against International Teaching Assistants (ITAs), especially by their undergraduate native English-speaking students (NESSs). My dissertation examines this notion of stigma against ITAs at Bowling Green State University (BGSU): Does it exist? Does it occur pre-contact or post- contact? How does the existing ITA preparation course (ESOL 5050) at BGSU meet ITAs’ academic and professional needs, undergraduate NESSs’ expectations, and ITA program administrators’ expectations? How do program administrators utilize end-of-semester course evaluations for ITAs’ professionalization? To answer these questions, I conducted a qualitative, mixed-methods study in which I: ▪ Surveyed two sections of ESOL 5050 I taught during fall 2016 and spring 2017 ▪ Interviewed ITAs enrolled in the fall 2016 section ▪ Surveyed and interviewed a select random sample of undergraduate NESSs on the BGSU campus ▪ Surveyed and interviewed nation-wide (writing) program administrators involved in ITA preparation ▪ Interviewed BGSU’s English for Speakers of Other Languages Director, and ▪ Had a peer scholar facilitate two focus group sessions with ITAs enrolled in the spring 2017 section of ESOL 5050. Feminist methodologies and Burke’s Pentad informed my data collection and understanding of meaning-negotiation practices between ITAs and undergraduate NESSs. After employing grounded theory analysis of the data, I found out that stigma primarily takes place post-contact with ITAs. Moreover, the study provides implications that take the shape of hands-on activities, assignments, unit plans, and potential cross-programmatic collaborations with the goal of addressing ITAs’ needs, undergraduate NESSs’ expectations, and program administrators’ expectations.

包括唐纳德·L·鲁宾（Donald L. Rubin）、芭芭拉·S·普拉坎斯（Barbara S. Plakans）、孔索拉塔·N·穆图阿（Consolata N. Mutua）以及莫妮卡·谢希（Monika Shehi）在内的学者提醒英语语言教学（English Language Teaching，ELT）领域，针对国际教学助理（International Teaching Assistants，ITAs）存在污名化现象，且此类污名化多来自与其共事的以英语为母语的本科生（native English-speaking students，NESSs）。
本论文以鲍灵格林州立大学（Bowling Green State University，BGSU）内针对ITAs的污名化现象为研究对象，探讨如下核心问题：该污名化现象是否真实存在？其发生是在与本科生接触前还是接触后？鲍灵格林州立大学现有ITAs培训课程ESOL 5050，能否同时满足ITAs的学术与职业发展需求、NESSs的期待，以及ITAs项目管理者的期望？项目管理者又会如何利用学期末课程评估推动ITAs的职业专业化进程？
为解答上述问题，本研究采用质性混合研究方法，具体实施环节如下：
▪ 对2016年秋季与2017年春季我所教授的两班ESOL 5050课程开展问卷调查
▪ 对2016年秋季班注册就读的ITAs进行访谈
▪ 从鲍灵格林州立大学校园内随机抽取NESSs样本，开展问卷调查与访谈
▪ 对全国范围内参与ITAs培训项目的（写作）项目管理者进行问卷调查与访谈
▪ 访谈鲍灵格林州立大学非母语英语教学主管
▪ 邀请同行学者协助，为2017年春季班ESOL 5050的ITAs开展两次焦点小组座谈

本研究的资料收集以及对ITAs与NESSs之间意义协商实践的解读，均以女性主义研究方法与伯克五元组（Burke’s Pentad）为理论支撑。通过对研究资料采用扎根理论分析后，本研究发现：污名化现象主要发生在与ITAs接触之后。此外，本研究还提出了一系列实践启示，包括可落地的教学活动、作业设计、单元教案，以及跨项目合作的潜在方案，旨在同时满足ITAs的发展需求、NESSs的期待与项目管理者的期望。