The love that dare not speak its name? The constitution of the English subject and beginning teachers’ motivations to teach it’

Why do beginning teachers say they want to teach English in the primary or secondary school? This article considers the results of a survey of 339 beginning teachers in the context of a discussion about the constitution of the subject and teachers’ professional development. The three year project for which this survey was the opening move is outlined. Beginning teachers’ “love” of the English subject – and especially a “love of literature” – are suggested to be their strongest motivations and this is contrasted with findings from other surveys of beginning teachers’ motivations which indicate that the subject is a weaker motivation. The article concludes by suggesting that claims to the constitution of English that focus on its content alone – albeit motivated by the desire to transform English and make it “relevant” – omit the vitally important dimension of pedagogy. The work of transforming the teaching and learning of English in schools must start by working with the “loves” beginning teachers bring rather than seeking to erase or deny these subjectivities.