A Duo‐Ethnography of Two Mother‐Teacher‐Scholars: Intersectionality of Mothering in Language Teacher Identity Work

ABSTRACT Drawing from feminist poststructuralist frameworks (Weedon 1996; Norton 2013), this duoethnography explores the intersection of Language Teacher Identities (LTI) with transnational and mothering experiences of two mother‐teacher‐scholars in higher education contexts. Challenging traditional perspectives of motherhood, we conceptualize mothering as fluid, context‐dependent, and empowering. Employing duoethnography and a reflective and reflexive dialogic approach, we analyzed four critical incidents to explore the intersection and influence of our mothering experiences on our identities as language educators. Three key themes emerged: 1. Breaking down the “maternal wall,” 2. The ripple effect of emotion labor; and 3. Resistance to and (re)production of normalized practices in academia. By reflecting on past and current (2024) mothering experiences, we shed light on the complex intersection of mothering, transnational identities, and professional roles as language teachers and teacher educators, offering insights and reflections for creating more equitable and empowering spaces for mother‐teacher‐scholars in academia.