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English language instructors, medium of education, and professional agency: An Indian perspective. 

Sandhu. P. (2019). English language instructors, medium of education, and professional agency: An Indian perspective. In H. Kayi-Aydar, X. Gao, E. Miller, M. Varghese & G. Vitanova (Eds.). Theorizing and Analyzing Language Teacher Agency (pp: 237-256)Bristol, UK and Blue Ridge Summit, PA, USA: Multilingual Matters.

This chapter examines the intersectionality of medium of education (MoE) with the professional identity formations of English Language (EL) instructors working in private English language institutions (PELIs) in India. Positioning Theory and narrative analysis are used to study how instructors construct their professional agency (or lack thereof) vis-à-vis their MoE. The instructors were from three types of MoE backgrounds – English medium, Hindi medium, or a combination of both. Findings reveal that the participants’ professional agency constructions on issues such as curriculum and textbook selection, lesson plans and materials development, in-class pedagogical practices, and interactions with students are closely related to their MoEs. While MoE backgrounds are used as explanations by teachers to agentively (dis)empower themselves, diverse social variables such as age, academic fields and goals, personal interests, and family commitments in intersection with MoEs are also utilized in unique, often (dis)empowering ways by the instructors to construct varied professional identities.

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