Linguistic shame, shaming, teacher resilience, and language ideologies in English language teaching in Sri Lanka

Mandated English language teaching in Sri Lanka operates within a complex field of social meaning. Historical legacies of colonialism, pervasive ideologies that privilege standard British English, and pronounced urban-rural disparities appear to interact in ways that generate significant emotional experiences for both teachers and learners. This paper examines how linguistic shame and shaming practices manifest in and constrain classroom life in rural schools, and explores how teachers navigate these challenges. Data from interviews with eight English teachers in the North Eastern province reveal a social ecology where shame is reciprocally felt and enforced, severely limiting oral participation. This emotional labor is compounded by a curriculum and assessment regime that may inadvertently reinforce the very ideologies underpinning the shame. Yet the findings are not wholly deterministic. Despite systemic constraints, teachers demonstrate considerable resilience. They articulate a critical awareness of the problem and actively negotiate alternative pedagogical strategies. These practices often involve legitimizing local varieties of English, fostering peer-supported learning, and designing activities to reduce anxiety. The study highlights that the burden of emotional labor in such contexts is substantial, but it also points to the potential for critical resistance and adaptation within everyday classroom practice.