Voices of Multilingual TESOL Academics in Australian Higher Education

Linh Tran Dang, Dan Zhou, and Minlu Shi, Education Faculty, Monash University, Australia

In these podcast episodes, Dan, Minlu, and Linh, three international TESOL teacher educators, move beyond pedagogy to talk about their own lived experiences. They explore the questions that quietly accompany many multilingual professionals working in Australia and around the world.

Episode 1: Negotiating identity and the shifting sense of belonging

“Your English is excellent!” Why do so many international teacher educators still struggle to believe it? In this episode, Dan, Minlu, and Linh share the hidden stories and tensions of working in a new linguistic landscape. They discuss the imposter syndrome and the native speaker fallacy, which can make even highly qualified experts question their sense of expertise when navigating the change from homogeneous environments to diverse Australian classrooms.

Episode 2: Reimagining authenticity and legitimacy

What if the biggest challenge in using English is not the language itself? In this episode Minlu, Linh and Dan explore the powerful idea of “correct" English and how standard language ideologies can create a stronghold in the hearts of multilingual teachers. By reframing their linguistic journeys as pedagogical assets, they show that professional legitimacy can be found not in conforming to a native-speaker ideal, but in the ability to communicate, connect, and draw on the unique power of shared experience.