scholarly journals Relationship between Teachers’ Competency Level in Teaching English Language and Students’ English Language Proficiency in Secondary Schools in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (7) ◽  
pp. 104-122
Author(s):  
Girimbabazi Serge ◽  
◽  
Mrs Adegoke Oyebimpe ◽  
Dr. Hesbon Opiyo Andala ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
English Language Teachers

The improvement of students’ English proficiency depends on the level of teaching English language and the competency of teachers in teaching career. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate the relationship between teachers’ competency in English language and students’ English language proficiency within secondary schools of Karongi in Rwanda. The study adopted correlation research design research design. Data collection tools were questionnaire and interview guide. The target population was 1794 people comprised of 1560 students, 14 Sector Education Officers, 20 Head Teachers, 200 teachers. A simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to get a sample size of 395 respondents. The study findings revealed that majority of the students with a total of 290 (91.2%) agreed that in their school, teachers are not competent enough in English language. Moreover, almost 292 (91.8%) of the respondents agreed that in their school, students English reading, writing, listening and speaking proficiency level is low and 70 (90.9%) of key informants agreed that both in public and private secondary schools of Karongi District, students’ English language proficiency level in reading, writing, speaking and listening is low. The correlation results showed the association between between teachers’ inability to teach in English, teachers’ inability to read classroom interactions in English language, teachers’ incompetency in English language, teachers’ inability to express themselves in English language as well as teachers’ inability to develop English language educational materials) and dependent variables (students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening English language proficiency and students’ English language proficiency (reading, writing, speaking and listening English proficiency) is positive. The study recommended the Ministry of Education through Rwanda Basic Education Board to avail enough English teaching and learning materials, including charts, textbooks and dictionaries which are adequate in enhancing English language proficiency mastery among students at an early age. All stakeholders of the education sector are recommended to support English teaching and learning activities in Rwanda, as it is the only and one shortcut for making Rwandans master the English language. Keywords: Teachers’ competency, English Language, English proficiency, Rwanda

Challenges in Implementing the CEFR in English Language Classrooms

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-128
Author(s):  
Nur Athirah Mohammed ◽  
Abdul Halim Abdul Raof ◽  
Masdinah Alauyah Md Yusof
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
English Language Teachers

The adoption of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in the English Language Education Roadmap 2015-2025 is a reform effort to enhance the standard of our students’ English language proficiency level. While it is a commendable initiative, its implementation in schools has received mixed reactions especially from teachers who are confronted with a number of challenges. Hence, this study was carried out to investigate the nature of challenges encountered by English language teachers in implementing the CEFR in their classrooms. Data for this study were collected from questionnaires gathered from 117 English language teachers in primary schools in Johor Bahru district. The findings revealed the challenges were related to teachers’ English language proficiency level, designing class activities, students’ participation in class, the textbooks used, teachers’ workload, and students’ proficiency level. The challenges were found to be inter-related and could be traced to lack of CEFR-related training, insufficient teaching and learning materials, constraint of time, and the policy which does not allow for students to be streamed based on their proficiency level. All this seemed to make it more difficult for the teachers to implement the CEFR successfully.

scholarly journals Teachers’ perspectives toward the implementation of bilingual immersion program in Indonesian private schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 118
Author(s):  
Haris Ma'ruf ◽  
Huyi Intan Sari
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Immersion Program ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Teachers Perspectives

This research was to find out teachers’ perspectives of the immersion program. For the mathematics, science and social subject teachers, it could ascertain how teachers cope with new challenges because using English to teach was a professional development experience and also could establish baseline approaches for implementing the immersion program. This study provided a picture of non-English teachers’ perception on implementing an immersion program at SMA Islam Sultan Agung 1 Semarang. The data was obtained from questionnaires and observation. The main challenge facing non-English language teachers was teaching and learning Mathematics, Sciences (Physics, Chemist, and Biology) and Social Subjects (Sociology, Economics, and Geography) in English. The study also showed that there were specific situations when teachers felt frustrated teaching an immersion class. This frustration always relates to lack of English language proficiency. In conclusion, this study shows the lack of English language proficiency is the main challenge faced by non-English language teachers and students in immersion classes at SMA Islam Sultan Agung 1 Semarang.

scholarly journals Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

scholarly journals The Dichotomy of Specialization: Is a Literature Teacher Necessarily a Language Teacher?

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-133
Author(s):  
Mariam Anana
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Oral Literature ◽  
Language And Literature ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
Effective Teaching And Learning

This study investigates the dichotomy of specialization in Literature and English language. In many primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, many teachers who teach Literature are the same teachers who teach English Language. This is responsible for lack of ultimate successes in academic performance, foundational establishment and progressive developments in Literature and English language. Set against the backdrop of the inseparability and non-specialization in individual subjects in question, the study examines the need for a dichotomy of specialization in English Language and Literature with a view to reducing the rate of errors and students’ failures in both subjects. Adopting the simple randomisation, the researcher uses selected primary and secondary schools in Lagos State as the case study; the paper raises four questions and these are: Can English Language teachers effectively teach poetic devices? Are segmental phonemes easily taught by Literature teachers? Can English Language teachers proficiently teach oral literature, literary criticism and non-African literature? Can Literature teachers competently teach stress and intonation? This research uses a qualitative approach and adopts The Speech Act Theory as its theoretical framework. Questionnaire of fifteen (15) items was used for data collection and the simple percentage was applied for data analysis. The researcher discovered that: It is not possible for English Languageteachers to effectively teach poetic devices. Segmental phonemes cannot be easily taught by Literature teachers. Students would lag behind in areas where teachers are not proficient in the subjects they teach. Also, it is not possible for a teacher to place equal emphasis on both English Language and Literature in classrooms. The study therefore recommends the need for a dichotomy of specialization in the two subjects so as to ensure effective teaching and learning of these subjects.

scholarly journals Professional development of English language teachers in Malang, Indonesia: Institutional and individual perspectives

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anik Nunuk Wulyani
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Individual

<p>Two important areas of professional development for teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Indonesia identified in the 2003 Law on National Education System and 2005 Law on Teachers and Lecturers are disciplinary knowledge and ICT skills. The present thesis investigates institutional and individual aspects of EFL teacher professional development (TPD) in Indonesia in relation to the development of these two areas of expertise.  Three studies were carried out. The first study measured Indonesian EFL teachers’ target language (English) proficiency as a core component of their professional knowledge and how it is maintained and developed by the teachers. EFL teachers’ language proficiency in this study was operationalised as their lexical, reading and writing proficiency and measured using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), IELTS-like reading comprehension test and IELTS-like academic writing test, respectively. The results showed that the teachers’ length of service correlated negatively with their knowledge of academic vocabulary, as well as reading and writing proficiency, indicating issues with the outcomes of the TPD in this area. To triangulate the test results, teacher perceptions data were also gathered using questionnaires and interviews. It was found that the EFL teachers tended to overestimate their own overall English language proficiency.  The second study used a longitudinal blogging activity with the EFL teachers as a form of personal professional development that targeted their English language and ICT skills while reflecting on topics related to their professional (teaching) activities. Qualitative analysis of the blog entries of three EFL teachers suggested that the individual teachers’ blogging, critical reading and reflective writing skills were very uneven. Interviews with nine teachers and 11 educational stakeholders were then conducted to understand their views on blogging as a form of professional development. The results revealed that the perceived obstacles and drawbacks outweighed the perceived benefits of blogging as a form of personal professional development.  The third study examined Indonesian national TPD policy documents, how these policies were translated into local professional development programmes in Malang district. It was found that the needs for EFL teachers to maintain their English proficiency and ICT skills were only partially addressed in TPD policy and implementation. In addition, the interviewed teachers and stakeholders perceived the definitions, goals, administration, evaluation, benefits, and challenges of TPD differently.  Taken as a whole, the present findings show that institutional implementation of TPD policies in Indonesia needs to better target individual EFL teachers’ English proficiency and ICT skills, and that opportunities for better professional development need to be sought at both personal and institutional levels. At the individual level, self-motivation to continue learning is crucial for English language teachers who want to keep up with change and innovation in English language teaching. At the institutional level, needs analyses and environmental analyses are essential in designing programs for maintaining and developing teacher professional competency.</p>

scholarly journals Criteria of Ideal English Language Teachers as Perceived by Secondary and Tertiary Indonesian Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Salam ◽  
◽  
Aulia Nourma Putri ◽  
Tundung Subali Patima ◽  
Azmi Abdul Latiff ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
English Education ◽  
Classroom Interaction ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Research Technology ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Republic

This study presents English teachers' professional, personality, social, leadership, and classroom interaction attributes which senior high school and university students expect from their English teachers. By knowing those attributes, English teachers are expected to be able to help their students attain better English language proficiency. For the investigation, five sets of questions were distributed in order to find out the respondents’ favourite English teachers attributes. The respondents consisted of senior students of three high schools and undergraduates of three universities who had high, mediocre and low English language proficiency. The results show that the students' levels of education and English language proficiency influence the students' perceptions on their English teachers' attributes. This study suggests that English teachers recognize the attributes that their students highly expect from them. It is suggested that English teacher training institutions should conduct more professional English language and language teaching trainings that help teachers to develop the attributes. It is also suggested that the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education of the Republic of Indonesia to monitor and evaluate universities and institutions which establish English Education Departments.

scholarly journals Challenges in teaching English writing skills: Lessons learnt from Indonesian high school English language teachers

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-21
Author(s):  
Nurhardiyanti Adam ◽  
Abid Abid ◽  
Yusna Bantulu
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Teaching English ◽  
English Writing ◽  
Writing Skill ◽  
English Language Teachers

Writing skill, among the four target language skills, is one of the skills that language learners need to master. In teaching this skill, therefore, teachers should take any effort to help learners write using the language they learn correctly. However, in the context of teaching English in Indonesia, particularly the writing skill, teachers often face challenges. The study reported in this article seeks to identify the challenges experienced by several Indonesian English language teachers in teaching English writing skills at VHS, a vocational high school, in Gorontalo, Indonesia. The participants involved were all English language teachers working at the school. Data were collected using interview and observation, and analyzed by using a thematic analysis method. The findings showed that there were four themes describing the teachers’ challenges in teaching English writing skills. They were teaching technique-related challenges, teaching time-related challenges, linguistics-related challenges, and learning motivation-related challenges. Even though the teachers are able to cope with the challenges, they still need to explore more strategies in teaching, thus the teaching and learning process can run effectively.

scholarly journals The Effect of English Language Proficiency Level on Undergraduate Libyan Students’ Use of Subject Verb Agreement

2021 ◽  
pp. 79-98
Author(s):  
Eman A. Elmejie Elmejie ◽  
Fatima M. Elzawawi ◽  
Amel M. Msimeer
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
English Language ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
English Language Proficiency ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Verb Agreement ◽  
Proficiency Level ◽  
Third Person

This study aims to examine the proficiency level of Libyan EFL (English as a Foreign Language) undergraduate students in terms of the types of subject-verb agreement errors they commit. It also attempts to identify, analyze and categorize the frequency errors related to subject-verb agreement into three categories. These errors are statically analyzed and classified into: subject-verb agreement (SVA) errors with third person singular subjects (TPSS), with third person plural subjects (TPPS), with compound subjects (CS). The participants of this study were 40 intermediate and advanced students whose major is English at the Faculty of Arts in Misurata University, Libya. They were chosen based on their level of English language proficiency during the current study. The data of this study were collected through a written test consisting of six short passages. The results showed that the percentage of errors made by both groups was below 30% which refers to non-significant differences among the two groups with respect to the SVA errors made by them. Consequently, it can be concluded that language proficiency has little effect on the participants' use of the SVA rule. It was also found that subject-verb agreement errors with (TPPS) were the least frequent, and the most common errors committed were (CS) and (TPSS). This study is important for EFL teachers to be aware of the subject verb agreement errors that their target learners commonly produce. The implications for SLA research and classroom teaching practice are given for foreign language teachers and researchers.

scholarly journals Exploring ESL Teachers’ Insights on Corrective Oral Feedback in a Malaysian Secondary Education Context

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (9) ◽  
pp. 504-512
Author(s):  
Izzuddin Mohd Fadzil ◽  
Nur Ehsan Mohd Said
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Oral Feedback ◽  
English Language Teachers

Feedback is one of the most significant elements in the process of teaching and learning. It serves as a tool to enhance students’ second language proficiency. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate how oral feedback is viewed and how it has been maneuvered to assist second language learner’s linguistic competence from the viewpoint of English teachers. Teachers’ perception of feedback is very important because it will determine the amount of feedback used in the process of teaching and learning. This is a qualitative study employing case study research design. It was conducted to 10 English language teachers from secondary schools in Malaysia The instrument used in this study was a semi-structured interview. Data collected from the interview were analyzed using thematic analysis. Several themes have been found during data analysis such as feedback as tool for motivation, oral feedback and learning from mistakes, students’ acceptance of teachers’ oral feedback and feedback as a medium to develop language proficiency. The result indicated that English teachers in Malaysia generally showed positive perception of oral feedback. Furthermore, teachers also reported to have noticed improvement in students’ language competence by listening to teachers’ feedback. Therefore, appropriate measure should be taken to ensure that teachers can provide effective oral feedback during teaching and learning.

scholarly journals Impact of Multimedia Technology on the Teaching and Learning of Oral English in Osun State Secondary Schools, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Victor Oluwole Falola ◽  
Segun Bode Jolayemi
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
School Level ◽  
Multimedia Technology ◽  
Ict Skills ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
English Language Teachers ◽  
The Impact

The paper sets to examine the impact of multimedia technology in the teaching and learning of oral English in secondary schools in Osun State. The researchers’ main objectives are to determine the availability of multimedia technology in secondary schools and also find out the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills possessed by oral English teachers. Further, the study explores strategies to improve on the usability of multimedia technology in secondary schools. Data were collected through questionnaires distributed among 80 teachers in Osun State central senatorial district. The results and discussions of findings are presented based on the demographic information of the respondents as well as their views towards the utilisation of ICT. Recommendations are made to the language planners, government, and the relevant agencies in the education sector as it was observed that challenges in pronunciation were not limited to students alone; it also affected teachers. This study further suggests that refresher courses be organised periodically for oral English language teachers and particularly, that the teaching of oral English should start at a primary school level.

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