Intersectionality of sexuality, ethnicity, and ‘(non-) native-speakerness’: a narrative inquiry of a gay Kurdish ESL teacher in Canada

This study uses narrative inquiry as a research method and intersectionality as an analytical tool to explore how a ‘non-native’ gay ESL teacher of Kurdish ethnic background working in Canada (re-)constructs and negotiates his identities and how these identities shape (and are shaped by) his pedagogy and practice. Data was collected through written responses to prompts about the participant’s professional and social background, a one-hour follow-up interview, as well as text and voice messages. The results revealed that tensions and a feeling of self-doubt lie at the intersections of the participant’s identities. These feelings manifest in his teaching practice in the form of hesitation to raise queer and ethnic/racial issues and struggles in navigating heteronormative and racialized spaces. This study’s findings add further nuance and insights to the burgeoning literature on language teacher identity.