Abstract
Due to increasing numbers of pupils with a mother tongue different from Czech, teachers of the Czech language are facing unprecedented challenges. This chapter opens the discussion on Czech language teacher identity through the theory of possible selves. First, the chapter introduces the possible teacher selves theory in language teacher research. Next, it describes the situation of teachers and pupils with a different mother tongue (DMT) in the current Czech educational system. Data from a small-scale empirical study on four participants of Czech as a second language teacher development course demonstrate the Czech language teacher possible selves. Two sets of interviews were taken to explore the ideal, ought-to, and feared language teacher selves. Finally, factors underlying potential fluctuations in motivation are discussed.
TopIntroduction
The number of pupils with a mother tongue other than Czech has been rising. In 2022, the increase multiplied due to the number of immigrant children from Ukraine (the Czech Republic is one of the countries with the highest numbers of refugees per capita in the EU, UN Refugee Agency, 2022). This new, unprecedented situation in Czech schools posed enormous challenges to the teachers since most Czech language teachers in the country are qualified to teach pupils with a full command of Czech (native Czech speakers) and have not received any formal training in teaching Czech as a second language (L2) or accommodating pupils with DMT to their classrooms.
As a result, the debate on teacher education and development has become extensive in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless, the identity and motivation of Czech language teachers teaching pupils with DMT is an unchartered research area. This chapter aims to open the research agenda in the context of a minor language and introduce the Czech language teachers' perception of their possible selves as a part of their professional identity in the current state of the Czech educational system. A small-scale empirical study of four Czech language teachers' possible selves illustrates the context of teaching a specific group of disadvantaged learners (pupils with DMT). Rather than bringing large-scale, generalizable results, the chapter contributes to teacher identity and motivation research by offering the perspective of teaching Czech as L2, despite the research design limitations. Furthermore, the findings may be valuable for pre-service, novice, or in-service teachers, teacher educators, and education experts or policy-makers.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Teaching Assistant: A member of the teaching staff that serves as an assistant to the teacher. Teaching assistants are allocated to teachers when they teach a class to pupil(s) with special needs.
Teacher Development Course: In this chapter, the teacher development course refers to a three-month course for teaching staff in Prague to develop their skills in teaching Czech as L2.
Possible Selves: Theory building on the discrepancy between an individual's current representations of self and the selves one might become.
Second language vs. foreign language: When the target language is taught/learned in the country where it is spoken, it is usually referred to as a second language (for example, learning English in the USA). When the target language is not spoken in the country where it is taught/learned, it is usually referred to as a foreign language (for example, learning English in Japan).
Child with a Different Mother Tongue: A child whose mother tongue is different from the language of instruction or a child with insufficient command of the instructional language.
Feared Language Teacher Self: The undesirable future representation of a language teacher one would not like to become.
Ideal Language Teacher Self: The desired future representation of an ideal language teacher one would like to become.
Ought-to Language Teacher Self: Externally defined image the language teacher holds of what is expected of them.