Non-native English speaking pre-service teachers in an EFL context: examining experiences through borderland discourse

This study examined borderland discourse emergent from the practicum experiences of non-native English speaking pre-service teachers (PSTs) in a Thai primary school. Borderland discourse is defined as a space where personal and professional constructs intersect, which is often in a state of dissonance. Over a ten-week practicum period, the PSTs narrated their experiences through a dialogic reflective journal with their teacher-educator. A main issue was the dissonance between PSTs’ expectations with the reality of their teaching context. Some of which were the Thai students’ inability to communicate in English and the use of a syllabus that did not reflect the students’ language abilities. This led to a renegotiation of PSTs’ pedagogical approaches. This study also highlighted potential challenges that non-native English speaking PSTs may face if teaching in a context that is linguistically or culturally different from theirs, as well as a brief account of English language education in Thailand.