Laura Edwards elt
Laura Edwards | TESOL Research & Practice
Laura Edwards
Doctoral student of TESOL creating practical resources for freelance English language teachers
Background: I have an M.Ed in Leadership and Management from the Open University and an MA in Technology, Education and Learning from the University of Leeds.Career: I am an experienced freelance English language professional specialising in language teaching, test development, and digital learning. Beyond the classroom, I create language tests and online learning materials. My work includes developing assessments, courses, and resources for educational organisations; designing and authoring content for language testing apps; and contributing to language learning text books and digital materials.
My Research
A long-term freelance ELT professional based in Germany, I'm currently completing a Doctor of Professional Practice in TESOL at the University of St Andrews, researching professional development, teacher identity and sustainable practices in casualised and freelance language education. My work bridges academic research with practical tools for teachers navigating the complexities of self-employment.Over the past 5 years, in my role as events coordinator for an English language teachers association, I've had the chance to connect with hundreds of freelance language teachers across Germany, and have heard stories of challenges with pricing, boundaries, client management, and professional sustainability. Challenges that I too have faced as a freelance ELT professional. Yet, when looking at research on teachers, I found very little that spoke to our experiences.My research examines how freelance and other precarious forms of employment affect English language teachers’ professional identities and development. I am particularly interested in how working under flexible and often unstable conditions shapes teachers’ sense of professional belonging, their self-identification and their engagement with continuous learning. My long-term goal is to create evidence-based resources that actually help teachers build thriving, sustainable practices.When I'm not researching, I'm speaking at conferences, running workshops for teacher associations, and teaching Business English in higher education and corporate settings.
Beyond the classroom:
Redefining Identity and Professional Growth in Freelance ELT
About the BookFreelance language teaching presents distinct professional challenges: establishing a professional identity without institutional anchors, determining sustainable rates in fragmented markets, and building long-term careers in precarious conditions.This ebook uses the voices of sixteen freelance English teachers to explore why these challenges are structurally difficult and how they're navigated in practice.What's InsideBased on doctoral research, each chapter examines a key challenge through both academic insight and lived experience. You’ll explore concepts like liminality, planned happenstance, and glocal positioning - not as abstract theory, but as lenses for understanding your own professional reality.- 9 research-informed chapters covering identity, chance and opportunity, positioning, pricing, visibility, community, wellbeing, professional development, and self-appraisal
- 30+ practical tools including assessments, frameworks, scripts, and planning worksheets
- Real teacher voices sharing honest accounts of navigating precarious conditionsWho This Is For - Freelance language teachers seeking research-grounded insights, strategic tools, and sustainable approaches to independent practice.What You'll Gain - Clarity about structural constraints and strategic possibilities, tools for deliberate decision-making, and understanding that individual challenges often reflect systemic patterns across the profession.Currently free as part of my doctoral research.
Available until December 2026.
Speaking & Research
I present at conferences and workshops internationally, sharing insights from my research on freelance language teaching, teacher sustainability, and professional development.Recent and Upcoming eventsHELTA 2026 | Hamburg, Germany (28 March)
Navigating the In-Between: Freelance Teacher IdentityELTAF Webinar | Online (28 February)
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Time-saving tips for teachersIATEFL BESig 2025 | Athens, Greece
Navigating the In-Between
Pharetra enim
Thank you
This work exists because sixteen freelance English language teachers in Germany shared their experiences openly and honestly. To them, to the ELTA Rhine community, and to every freelance teacher navigating these challenges: thank you.