Grappling With Language Barriers: Implications for the Professional Development of Immigrant Teachers

Abstract

In this narrative inquiry, I explored the role of language in the lives of six Russian-speaking immigrant teachers. Theoretical perspectives emphasized experience, context, and culture in understanding their beliefs, and language served as an interpretive lens through which the experiences were explored. The inquiry revealed the following overlapping themes: language and regaining professional status, language and communication, and language and culture. The inquiry has implications for professional development of immigrant teachers and multicultural teaching and learning.