This novel, edited volume looks at a previously under-researched area of language teacher agency and identity by exploring the experience of novice pre- and in-service teachers for whom English is a second language, and presents research gathered from Asia, Europe, South America, and the US to bring underrepresented voices to the fore.

Divided into four sections together covering chapters on identity, agency, and professional competencies, the book presents qualitive data on the lived experiences of novice teachers and the challenges they face to their sense of agency, from personal histories and backgrounds, institutional demands, and sociocultural pressures. Chapters take a case study approach to provide research on how the transition from theory to in-classroom practice can be eased, and strategies for coping with socio-pedagogical challenges can be found. With contributions from renowned and emerging scholars, ultimately the book supports a better understanding of how novice teachers can navigate their agencies in a variety of contexts.

Engaging with the novel dimension of novice teachers’ agency in order to expand the boundaries of research, this book will appeal to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students in the fields of teachers and teacher education, initial teacher training, English language teaching and training, and applied linguistics more broadly.