Professional Challenges in World Language Education: Insights From Leaders

This qualitative investigation reports on challenges experienced by 60 teacher leaders in world language education. The transcribed data provided rich accounts of the challenges, which were both interlinked and predominantly professional. The analysis exemplifies how such complex challenges are related, cumulative, and ouroboric in nature. Teacher educators should understand such challenges in order to prepare novice teachers to overcome them. In fact, there is ample evidence that many language teachers assume leadership roles, but—sadly—many feel ill-prepared for those responsibilities.