Teaching English Language Learners Who Have Trauma Experiences: Healthy Boundaries, Happy Teachers

Abstract

English language teachers, especially those working with refugees and vulnerable populations, are at risk of empathy-based stress (e.g., burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious trauma). Due to conditions prevalent in the English language teaching context and relationships of trust that develop classrooms, instructors may inadvertently be exposed to and impacted by learner trauma. Over time, empathetic engagement and hearing troubling stories can result in vicarious trauma. One key factor that puts instructors at risk of vicarious trauma and other empathy-based stress is unclear boundaries. In this article, we draw on data from 44 semi-structured ethnographic interviews with language instructors who self-identified as being negatively impacted by their work with learners who have had trauma experiences. We report specifically on themes related to boundaries that emerged from the data. The findings focus on factors that contribute to crossed boundaries, such as overfamiliarity, role misperception, a saviour mentality, and dual relationships. We also describe benefits of and strategies for setting and maintaining boundaries. The article concludes with implications and recommendations for policy makers, organizational decision makers, and English language instructors.