ABSTRACT
The research presented in this chapter is a critical examination of my English language teaching (ELT) and Korean language learning experiences in South Korea as a white Canadian woman. Using autoethnography as a research methodology, I examine how dominant language ideologies are discursively constructed in my narratives as they relate to native-speaker expertise, language teacher desirability, and Korean speaker positionality. Specifically, in spite of the multi/pluri turn in ELT, ideologies consistent with Phillipson’s native-speaker fallacy led me to be positioned and to position myself as the ideal English language teacher based on my race, status as first-language speaker of English, nationality, and gender. However, as I gained experience living and teaching in Korea, my conceptualization of the ideal English language teacher shifted as I negotiated my identity as a Korean language learner and my use of the language in my practices. Through the process of reflecting upon and challenging my evolving and multiple identities in the field of ELT, I conclude with considerations to address issues of power in relation to English language ideologies in South Korea and beyond.
