ABSTRACT
This chapter establishes our understanding of what we broadly define as the field of Llanguage and Cculture Eeducation (LCE) and then focuses on profiling and positioning what we consider to be the three most visible groups of actors within it: language teaching theorists (LTTs), language teachers (LTs) and ULTRs. Articulation of these terms aims to provide the foundation for a common professional discourse, which we subsequently use throughout the rest of the book. In exploring the relationship between these three groups of actors, we identify the often-unacknowledged, complex power dynamics at play between them. The key argument we present in this chapter is that due to long-standing disciplinary hierarchies, departmental and institutional politics, ULTRs – with whom we identify – lack a sense of shared professional identity, and that we thus tend to not see themselves nor are we seen or adequately acknowledged for what we do. Overall, despite our overall lack of visibility, we argue that ULTRs hold a unique space with significant potential for innovative agency and leadership within LCE. The last section of this chapter is dedicated to discussing the specific features and historical development of languages and cultures study provision in Australian universities along with the general profile of Australian ULTRs, thereby offering detailed contextual background to the discussions presented in subsequent chapters.
