ABSTRACT
Community language schools (CLSs) play a significant role in language provision. However, there is scarcity of research on CLS teachers, especially their emotional experiences in teaching. Teaching is an emotionally laden practice, especially in a marginalised position, like in CLSs. This chapter analyses CLS teachers’ emotional experiences from a cultural historical activity theory perspective. Based on the data from 22 CLS teachers’ survey responses and four teachers’ reflection notes and individual interviews, the findings reveal the key challenges CLS teachers encountered in their teaching context and their emotional responses. By examining these teachers’ emotions in relation to their social situation as a unit of analysis, the findings indicate that their emotions play a catalyst role in their professional development. Although the teaching at CLS is often conflicted and some challenges could not be resolved by an individual teacher, this chapter provides a theoretical framework to elucidate the dialectical relationship between teachers’ emotions and their professional learning. This chapter argues for the need to acknowledge and support the affective side of teaching at CLSs and teachers’ professional development.
