SOME MAJOR IMPACTS OF LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TRAINING ON HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLAND OF VIETNAM
PDF

Keywords

EFL teachers, language proficiency, professional development

Abstract

This article aims to investigate the disadvantaged, mountainous EFL teachers’ perceptions of the necessity and effectiveness of the national large-scale English language proficiency training to their teaching. One hundred and fifty teachers having experienced in the English language proficiency training workshop(s) by authorized institutions and achieved the CEFR-C1 level as professional standards participated in the study. Data were collected through questionnaire, reflective report, and interview. During the data collection and analysis, a mixed-methods research design was employed. Overall, the findings have indicated that language proficiency training workshops are believed to help the teachers increase the level of proficiency and master pedagogical skills. The teachers felt confident, motivated and proud of themseves as a result of the training activities. On the basis of the findings, practical implications have been made so as to increase the sustainability of professional development activities for school teachers in remote, disadvantaged areas.

https://doi.org/10.26459/hueunijssh.v131i6C.6672
PDF

References

  1. Bachman, L. F. (1990). Fundamental considerations in language testing. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  2. Baker, W. (2008). A critical examination of ELT in Thailand: The role of cultural awareness. RELC Journal, 39(1), 131-146
  3. Butler, Y. G. (2004). What level of English proficiency do elementary school teachers need to attain to teach EFL? Case studies from Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. TESOL Quarterly, 38(2), 245-278
  4. Dudzik, D, Nguyen, QTN (2015) Vietnam: building English competency in preparation for ASEAN 2015. In: Stroupe, R, Kimura, K (eds) ASEAN Integration and the Role of English Language Teaching. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5746/LEiA/ASEAN_Integ_ELT.
  5. Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
  6. Elder, C. (2001). Assessing the language proficiency of teachers: Are there any border controls, 18(2). Language Testing, 149-170.
  7. Elder, C., & Kim, S. (2014). Assessing teachers’ language proficiency. In A. J. Kunnan, The companion to language assessment (pp. 1-17). Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.
  8. Farrell, T. S., & Richards, J. C. (2007). Teachers' language proficiency. In T. S. Farrell, Reflective language teaching: From research to practice (pp. 55-66). London: Continuum.
  9. Freeman, D. (2017). The case for teachers' classroom English proficiency. RELC Journal, Vol 48(1), 31-52.
  10. Freeman D (2016) Educating Second Language Teachers. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  11. Freeman, D., Katz, A., Gomez, P. G., & Burns, A. (2015). English-for-Teaching: rethinking teacher proficiency in the classroom. ELT Journal Advance Access, 1-11.
  12. Government. (2008). Decision on the approval of the national initiative “Teaching and learning foreign languages in the national education system, period 2008 – 2020” (Decision). Ha Noi: Prime Minister.
  13. Government. (2017). Decision No. 2080/QD-TTg. Retrieved 20 December 2018 from https://thukyluat.vn/vb/quyet-dinh-2080-qd-ttg-2017-de-an-day-hoc-ngoai-ngu-trong-he-thong-giao-duc-quoc-dan-5a7e2.html
  14. Hulstijn, J. H. (2011). Language proficiency in native and nonnative speakers: An agenda for research and suggestions for second-language assessment. Language Assessment Quarterly, 8(3), 229-249.
  15. Hulstijn, J. H. (2015). Language proficiency in native and non-native speakers: Theory and Research. John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  16. Kim, S., & Elder, C. (2008). Target language use in foreign language classrooms: Practices and perceptions of two native speaker teachers in New Zealand. Language, Culture and Communication, 21(2), 167–185.
  17. Le, V. C., & Renandya, W. A. (2017). Teachers’ English proficiency and classroom language use: A conversation analysis study. RELC Journal, 48(1), 67-81.
  18. Lee, M., Schutz, P. A., & Vlack, S. v. (2017). Native and Non-Native Teachers in English Language Classrooms (Professional Challenges and Teacher Education). In M. Agudo, & J. d. Dios, Chapter 6. Non-native English-speaking teachers’ anxieties and insecurities: Self-perceptions of their communicative limitations (pp. 119-138). New York University.
  19. Littlewood, W., & Yu, B. (2011). First language and target language in the foreign language classroom. Language Teaching, 44, 64-77.
  20. Pham, N. T. (2017). English-for-teaching training: Initial impact on in-service EFL teachers’ classroom discourse: A case study. In L. LeDréan, & D. Freeman, developing classroom English competence: Learning from the Vietnam experience (pp. 72-83). Pnom Penh: IDP Education (Cambodia) Ltd.
  21. Pham, N. T. (2017a). General English proficiency or English for teaching? The preferences of in-service teachers. RELC Journal, 49(3), 339-352, https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688217691446.
  22. Richard, J. & Farrell, T. (2005). Professional development for language teachers: Strategies for teacher learning. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge.
  23. Richards, H., Conway, C., Roskvist, A., & Harvey, S. (2013). Foreign language teachers’ language proficiency and their language teaching practice. The language learning Journal, 41(2), 231-246, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09571736.2012.707676.
  24. Stern, H. H. (1983). Fundamental concepts of language teaching. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.