Balancing national language policy and classroom realities: teachers’ negotiations of multilingualism in Turkish schools

Negotiating Professional Identities in Post-Monolingual Classrooms: A Qualitative Study on Saudi Tertiary-level Bilingual EFL Teachers

This study examines how bilingual EFL teachers in Saudi higher education perceive and negotiate their professional identities while teaching monolingual Arabic-speaking students in English-only institutional settings. Grounded in poststructuralist identity, translanguaging, and language ideology theories, the research explores the intersection of pedagogy, identity, and institutional regulation in post-monolingual EFL classrooms. Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, data were collected from 10 bilingual instructors at 3 universities through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and reflective teaching journals over a 6-week period. The data were thematically analysed to enable coding, triangulation, and cross-case comparison. Findings show that teachers strategically used Arabic to scaffold complex content, maintain learner engagement, and address the affective dimensions of teaching, while navigating English-only policy constraints through selective compliance and subtle resistance. Reflective journals revealed identity dissonance stemming from tensions between pedagogical beliefs and institutional expectations, with reflection serving as a mechanism for ethical sense-making and professional resilience. Rather than passive policy implementers, the teachers emerged as reflexive practitioners who constructed professional identity through translanguaging, emotional reflexivity, and adaptive pedagogy. The study highlights the need for institutional policies that recognise and support teachers’ multilingual repertoires in Saudi EFL contexts. В статье рассматривается проблема формирования и согласования профессиональной идентичности билингвальных преподавателей английского языка как иностранного в системе высшего образования Саудовской Аравии. Особое внимание уделяется условиям преподавания монолингвальным институциональной среде, арабоязычным ориентированной на студентам в использование исключительно английского языка. Теоретико-методологическую основу исследования составили постструктуралистские подходы к изучению идентичности, концепция транслингвизма и теория языковых идеологий. В центре анализа находится взаимосвязь педагогической практики, профессиональной идентичности преподавателя и институционального регулирования в постмонолингвальной образовательной аудитории. Исследование выполнено в логике качественного множественного кейс-стади. Эмпирическую базу составили данные, полученные в течение шести недель от 10 билингвальных преподавателей трех университетов. В качестве методов сбора данных использовались полуструктурированные интервью, аудиторные наблюдения и рефлексивные преподавательские дневники. Обработка материалов осуществлялась с применением тематического анализа, включавшего кодирование, триангуляцию данных и межкейсовое сопоставление. Результаты исследования показали, что преподаватели целенаправленно обращались к арабскому языку для объяснения сложного учебного материала, поддержания вовлеченности студентов и работы с эмоционально-аффективными аспектами обучения. При этом они были вынуждены учитывать ограничения институциональной политики «только английский язык», сочетая частичное соблюдение установленных требований с формами скрытого педагогического сопротивления. Анализ рефлексивных дневников позволил выявить диссонанс профессиональной идентичности, возникающий вследствие противоречия между педагогическими убеждениями преподавателей и институциональными ожиданиями. Рефлексия в данном контексте выступала как механизм этического осмысления профессиональной деятельности и поддержания профессиональной устойчивости. Сделан вывод о том, что билингвальные преподаватели не являются пассивными исполнителями языковой политики. Напротив, они выступают как рефлексивные субъекты педагогической практики, конструирующие профессиональную идентичность через транслингвальные стратегии, эмоциональную рефлексивность и адаптивные формы преподавания. Полученные результаты указывают на необходимость разработки институциональных языковых политик, признающих и поддерживающих многоязычные ресурсы преподавателей в контексте обучения английскому языку как иностранному в Саудовской Аравии.

Multilingualism, Language Policy, and ELT in Karnataka Higher Education: A Qualitative Document Analysis

This study explores the relationship among multilingualism, language policy, and English Language Teaching (ELT) practices within a wide context of the higher educational system in Karnataka. This paper mainly focuses on the gap that exists between multilingual educational policies and their actual implementations on the ground. Drawing upon India’s National Education Policy (NEP 2020), university curriculum frameworks, policy documents, and selected ELT materials, the research investigates how multilingualism is represented, negotiated, and institutionalized in contemporary academic discourse. Adopting a qualitative research framework, such as document analysis and thematic analysis, the study explores the institutional importance and placement of English alongside regional languages like Kannada in the Karnataka context in higher education. The research is informed by theories of Global Englishes and multilingual pedagogies, particularly the works of Kachru (1992) and García and Wei (2014). This paper’s objective is to contribute to current discussions on language policy, multilingual communication, and present ELT practices in Karnataka, at the same time bringing out the tensions between global English and local and regional linguistic identities.

“Teach in English or retire”: linguistic, pedagogical and career consequences of English medium instruction

Energizing the Teacher Potentials for Teaching English in Diverse Socio-Cultural and Geo-Political Contexts in Nepal

In Nepal's multilingual and multicultural context, teaching English poses distinct challenges and opportunities. Teachers are central to ensuring effective English language learning, but their potential is often undermined by inadequate training, poor infrastructure, and mismatched national policies that fail to consider local diversity. This study explored how to energize teacher potentials by focusing on socio-cultural inclusivity, professional development, and geo-political considerations in Nepal. Drawing on qualitative data collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis, the research investigates the current challenges and emerging solutions from teachers’ perspectives across different regions. The findings show that teachers can become transformative agents when equipped with context-sensitive pedagogy, culturally responsive training, and community engagement tools. The study recommends decentralizing teacher education, investing in continuous and reflective professional development, and involving teachers in curriculum design. Energizing teacher potential is thus framed not just as a pedagogical goal, but as a socio-political project essential for equitable and effective English education across Nepal

Monolingual English Medium Instruction versus Multilingual pedagogy: Students’ Perspectives from a Praxis Study in Pakistani Secondary Schools

The debate between monolingual English-medium instruction (EMI) and multilingual pedagogy has gained increasing attention in multilingual societies, where English functions as a global lingua franca. At the same time, local languages hold cultural and cognitive value. This study examines students' perspectives on English-medium and multilingual instruction through a qualitative, praxis-oriented investigation conducted at Pak-Turk Marif International School and The City School, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and reflective written responses from ESL students (n = 10). Guided by a praxis framework and informed by translingual theory and critical pedagogy, the study moves from identifying a classroom-based issue to generating contextual evidence, analyzing student responses, and reflecting on pedagogical implications. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, which allowed key patterns to emerge from the students' experiences. The findings reveal a clear preference for multilingual pedagogy, with ( n=7) participants favoring the use of multiple languages to enhance comprehension, inclusivity, and engagement. In contrast,(n=3) respondents supported EMI, primarily for reasons of consistency and English language development. Importantly, even among EMI supporters, English was viewed as an instrumental resource rather than an inherently superior medium of cognition. The study demonstrates that multilingual pedagogical practices better align with students’ learning needs and socio-cultural contexts. The study argues for flexible, context-sensitive language practices that integrate English without marginalizing local languages. It also opens new gates for future research.

Beyond English-Only: Negotiating L1, Local Culture, and Teacher Agency in Nepalese English Classrooms

Nepal’s English classrooms are linguistically and culturally diverse, yet English-only orientations continue to influence English language teaching. This study explores how secondary-level English teachers negotiate learners’ first language (L1) and local cultural knowledge in English teaching and how they perceive the contribution of these resources to learners’ comprehension, participation, interaction, and meaning-making. A qualitative narrative inquiry was conducted with three experienced secondary-level English teachers from public schools in Nepal. Data were generated through three in-depth narrative interview sessions with each participant, conducted mainly in Nepali, transcribed, translated into English where necessary, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis while retaining attention to the narrative context of teachers’ accounts. The findings show that teachers used L1 selectively according to learners’ English proficiency, lesson difficulty, pedagogical purpose, and classroom circumstances. Nepali was used to explain difficult concepts, clarify linguistic differences, check understanding, facilitate interaction, and encourage participation. Local cultural knowledge, including familiar foods, festivals, community practices, and everyday experiences, was used to connect unfamiliar English content with learners’ prior knowledge and create meaningful opportunities for English communication. Rather than viewing L1 as an alternative to English, teachers described it as a temporary and purposeful mediational resource that could facilitate learners’ engagement with English. However, they also recognized that excessive reliance on L1 could limit learners’ opportunities to encounter and use English. The study thus conceptualizes multilingual English teaching as a process of pedagogical negotiation rather than adherence to a fixed English–L1 ratio. By bringing together L1 use, local cultural knowledge, and teacher agency, the study contributes a context-sensitive account of how Nepalese English teachers mobilize learners’ existing linguistic and cultural resources while maintaining English as the principal target of instruction. The findings underscore the importance of teacher education that develops teachers’ capacity to make purposeful, context-sensitive linguistic and cultural choices in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms.