SNS as an unofficial ‘off-line’ platform to sustain language teacher wellbeing
Having a sustained wellbeing mentally and physically could be beneficial to English teachers but the extent to which online platforms can make contributions in this aspect still needs more research, particularly into English teachers whose first language is not English. This study reports on a case study examining how Vietnamese teachers in the private sector perceive the unofficial community of practice established through online platforms and its contributions to their wellbeing. Semi-structured interviews were carried out and textual analysis was performed thematically based on the transcribed data. As a person’s wellbeing should not be perceived individually, the findings are discussed using Bronfenbrenenr’s Ecological System framework (1979) where wellbeing is comprised of different layers varying from individual to societal levels. It has been found that the unofficial community of practice established on online platforms in this study not only helped the teachers overcome several professional obstacles, it also contributed greatly to their wellbeing. It is hoped that the results can be a useful resource for language teachers and institutions in terms of how to make good use of SNS platforms to help sustain teachers’ wellbeing and professional development more effectively.