New joint article on English Language Teachers’ Emotional Vulnerability in the Era of Self-Branding on Social Media

This new paper in TESOL Quarterly under Wiley, with our Dr Hassan Nejadghanbar and Prof. Guangwei Hu as authors, explores the burgeoning trend of language teachers utilizing social media platforms to promote their personal or institutional language programs. Despite the widespread adoption, little attention has been paid to the experiences, challenges, and vulnerabilities these teachers encounter in such contexts.

This study aimed to bridge this gap by examining English language teachers' vulnerability and identity negotiation in relation to self-branding on social media. The results highlight the teachers' constant struggles in competing against those who appear to have superior skills and resources for self-promotion and their resistance to the "rules of the game" in gaining quick visibility. They shed light on language teachers' vulnerability and identity negotiation in their efforts to present themselves as authentic and legitimate teachers on Instagram against popular, self-branded individuals.

This study highlights the intersection of language teaching, emotion, and identity, offering valuable implications for language teacher identity in a rapidly evolving teaching context. 

More information about the article can be found on the website here.