Expatriate English Instructors in Saudi Arabia: Identity Formation and Professional Challenges

Anas Almuhammadi

English Language Teaching, 2025, vol. 18, issue 8, 1

Abstract: This qualitative analysis examines the intricate ways of how the English teachers in Saudi Arabia (expatriates) create and bargain their occupational and individual identities. Based on the interviews carried out among ten male educators of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the paper shows the multidimensional nature of problems experienced by the educators under consideration, such as institutional restriction, cultural misalignment, pedagogical confines, and professional orchestration. The article employs phenomenological approach and thematic analysis to determine such important themes as displacement of identity, development of adaptive teaching styles, negotiation of legitimacy and formation of hybrid intercultural identities. The respondents complained about being disempowered as professionals because of the rigid nature of administrative organization, discrimination in favor of nationalities, and the lack of room to advance their careers. Regardless of these, instructors have incorporated various coping styles such as pedagogical adjustment, informal peer support groups, strength of emotion, and professional development via personal efforts. The results point to the context-specific and dynamic character of teacher identity and emphasise the importance of intercultural competence, institutional care, and inclusive policies to foster teacher well-being and effectiveness. This work will expand the debate on transnational education, teacher identity, and intercultural pedagogy and provide useful information to policymakers, institutional leaders and TESOL players in the same world.

Date: 2025
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