A case study on foreign English teachers’ challenges in Taiwanese elementary schools

With the spread of English as the global language, many people from English-speaking countries go to foreign land to work as English teachers. A review of the literature reveals that there is little research on these teachers’ teaching-abroad experiences. The current study is an attempt to address this gap in the literature. Situated in an intercultural team-teaching program in Taiwan, this study documents the many challenges that three South African teachers faced. The data suggest that one common challenge is doubts on their accents. They also confronted various problems, including having to teach something they were not familiar with, managing misbehaved students, and teaching large classes. The study calls for a better preparation for foreign English teachers before they begin their teaching assignments.