'The Least Stable Form of Employment': The Professional (In)Security of English Language Teaching

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Bibliographic Details
Title: 'The Least Stable Form of Employment': The Professional (In)Security of English Language Teaching
Language: English
Authors: Jason Litzenberg (ORCID 0000-0003-0530-5009), Anneka Fraser (ORCID 0000-0003-4578-7495)
Source: Globalisation, Societies and Education. 2026 24(3):775-787.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: English (Second Language), Language Teachers, Underemployment, Masters Degrees, Enrollment Trends, Professionalism, Teacher Education Programs, Job Security, Faculty Mobility
DOI: 10.1080/14767724.2023.2264796
ISSN: 1476-7724
1476-7732
Abstract: The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) increasingly requires advanced qualifications. While learners benefit from instruction of trained pedagogues, many professionals are nevertheless forced to accept employment incommensurate to their qualifications. Indeed, recent graduates may discover that they are unable to engage in the field for which they have prepared. This insecurity places ELT professionals into the precariat, a socioeconomic classification that includes individuals who possess vocational qualifications yet lack a secure professional identity and must accept status and income below their qualifications. Reporting on the experiences of professionals who recently completed an ELT preparation program, this article seeks to understand why some individuals remain in the field while others leave; it connects these experiences to qualities of the precariat. The article provides insight into how the prospect of professional precarity undermines the attractiveness of ELT as a profession.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503785
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) increasingly requires advanced qualifications. While learners benefit from instruction of trained pedagogues, many professionals are nevertheless forced to accept employment incommensurate to their qualifications. Indeed, recent graduates may discover that they are unable to engage in the field for which they have prepared. This insecurity places ELT professionals into the precariat, a socioeconomic classification that includes individuals who possess vocational qualifications yet lack a secure professional identity and must accept status and income below their qualifications. Reporting on the experiences of professionals who recently completed an ELT preparation program, this article seeks to understand why some individuals remain in the field while others leave; it connects these experiences to qualities of the precariat. The article provides insight into how the prospect of professional precarity undermines the attractiveness of ELT as a profession.
ISSN:1476-7724
1476-7732
DOI:10.1080/14767724.2023.2264796