Burnout

Burnout is a syndrome of physical and emotional exhaustion resulting from prolonged workplace stress. Christina Maslach's foundational research (Maslach & Jackson 1981; Maslach, Schaufeli & Leiter 2001) established burnout as a three-dimensional construct, measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), which remains the dominant instrument in the field.

Maslach's Three Dimensions

Dimension	Description	In ELT
Emotional exhaustion	Feeling drained, depleted of emotional resources	The teacher who dreads Monday morning; who cannot summon enthusiasm for another lesson
Depersonalisation	Cynical, detached attitude toward students and colleagues	Referring to students as "the B2 group" rather than by name; going through the motions
Reduced personal accomplishment	Feeling ineffective; doubting the value of one's work	"Nothing I do makes a difference"; losing confidence in professional competence

Emotional exhaustion is typically the first dimension to develop. Depersonalisation follows as a coping mechanism (distancing from the source of stress). Reduced accomplishment results from the combined erosion.

Risk Factors in ELT

Language teaching carries distinctive burnout risks:

• Emotional labour: maintaining enthusiasm, patience, and responsiveness across multiple classes daily
• High workload: preparation, marking, admin, and often multiple part-time contracts
• Job insecurity: many ELT positions are hourly, seasonal, or contract-based
• Low pay: particularly in private language schools and developing contexts
• Assessment pressure: exam washback creates performance anxiety for teachers as well as students
• Isolation: solo teachers in small schools or freelance settings lack collegial support
• Unrealistic expectations: institutional pressure for results without adequate resources or training
• Repetition: teaching the same level or syllabus repeatedly without variety

Warning Signs

• Chronic fatigue that rest does not resolve
• Increasing cynicism about students, colleagues, or the profession
• Decline in lesson preparation quality
• Social withdrawal from colleagues
• Physical symptoms: headaches, insomnia, illness
• Loss of satisfaction from previously rewarding aspects of teaching

Prevention and Mitigation

Strategy	How it helps
Boundaries	Separating work and personal time; saying no to unsustainable workloads
Collegial support	Peer observation, teacher groups, mentoring, reducing isolation
CPD	Renewed engagement through learning; breaking routine
Reflective Practice	Processing difficult experiences rather than accumulating them
Autonomy	Having control over materials, methods, and classroom decisions
Institutional factors	Fair pay, reasonable class sizes, professional recognition, job security
Physical health	Exercise, sleep, and nutrition as non-negotiable foundations

Burnout vs Stress

Stress and burnout are related but distinct. Stress involves overengagement: too much pressure, too many demands. Burnout involves disengagement: emotional shutdown and withdrawal. A stressed teacher is still trying; a burned-out teacher has stopped.

References

• Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113.
• Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W. B., & Leiter, M. P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397–422.
• Mousavi, E. S. (2007). Exploring 'teacher stress' in non-native and native teachers of EFL. English Language Teacher Education and Development, 10, 33–41.
• Méndez López, M. G., & Peña Aguilar, A. P. (2013). Emotions as learning enhancers of foreign language learning motivation. Profile, 15(1), 109–124.