ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to extend the spectrum of Unequal Englishes (UE) scholarship by examining potential inequality among so-called native English speakers (NESs) when defined as English language teachers in non-English-speaking countries in general and particularly in mainland China. More specifically, it aims to explore the intersectionality of professional inequality, NESs, and social variables including nationality, race, class, regional affiliation, and gender. Data for this study were collected through semi-structured interviews with seven Chinese administrators of English language teaching (ELT) programs regarding ideal English language teachers. Data show that administrators are complicit in hierarchizing NESs and consequently different varieties of native speaker English, as is evident from their prioritization of middle- and upper-middle class Whites from the UK and USA. The administrators also consider female NESs rather than male ones as ideal. Overall, the findings suggest that the employability of NESs as foreign English teachers in China is not based solely on their native-speakerhood but intersects with other social categories.
