Abstract
The development of Spoken English in Pakistani teachers training institutions working in public sector has never been assessed. This study explores the extent of improvement in English speaking skills among prospective teachers of one year teacher education program at three public sector universities in Punjab, Pakistan, where English is the medium of instruction, like all other public sector universities in Pakistan. The sample for this study consisted of 206 prospective teachers (131 entry and 75 graduation level). The unequal number of prospective teachers at entry and graduation level was due to difference in intake. The prospective teachers were called one by one and were assessed using the Fairfax County Rating Scale. The data were analyzed quantitatively. It was concluded that no significant improvement occurs in the English speaking skills of the prospective teachers during the teacher education program offered in departments of Education working in the public sector universities.
Highlights
Language is a system of arbitrary symbols for human beings’ communication (Knight, 1992)
The purpose of this study was to assess the development of English speaking skills among prospective teachers undertaking one year teacher education program in the public sector universities of the Punjab, Pakistan
The results of this study reveal that there is no improvement in the English speaking skills after one complete academic year, despite the fact that the medium of instruction and assessment is English
Summary
Language is a system of arbitrary symbols for human beings’ communication (Knight, 1992). English being the official language occupies an important position in Pakistan (Khushi & Talaat, 2011). This is the language of teacher education in Pakistan (Rahman, 2006). Instead of assessing four basic skills only writing skills are assessed in the public sector educational institutions including universities in Pakistan (Alam, 2012; Coleman, 2010). The level of English speaking proficiency is very low in outgoing graduates of higher education in Pakistan (Alam, 2012; Bilal et al 2013; Coleman, 2010; Shahzad et al 2011). Effective Communication skill is one of the standards for the teachers in many countries of world (Aslam, 2011; Cammarata, 2010; Governmentof-Pakistan, 2009)
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