Innovation in Language Learning
Emotion Labour of EMI Teachers: Navigating Classroom, Institutional, and Sociocultural Ecologies
Naureen Rahnuma, Assistant Professor and Head Department of English and Modern Languages Independent University, Bangladesh (Bangladesh)
Abstract
This study investigates the emotional labour of Bangladeshi English Medium Instruction (EMI) teachers, focusing on how they negotiate the intersecting ecologies of classroom practices, institutional structures, and sociocultural contexts. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with EMI teachers from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The findings reveal that teachers constantly regulate their emotions to balance linguistic challenges, student expectations, and pedagogical goals in the classroom. At the institutional level, rigid policies, heavy workloads, and limited recognition of affective labour amplify emotional strain, while informal collegial networks often provide essential support. At the sociocultural level, wider discourses on English, status, and identity shape teachers’ affective experiences, frequently positioning them at the crossroads of authority and vulnerability. Together, these insights illustrate the multi-layered nature of EMI teachers’ emotional labour and highlight the urgent need for institutions to acknowledge and address the affective dimensions of EMI pedagogy. The study contributes to ongoing debates on the sustainability of EMI and calls for policies that integrate emotional well-being into teacher support frameworks.
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Keywords |
English Medium Instruction (EMI), Emotional labour, Teacher Well-being, Sociocultural Contexts |
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