Developing a program of English proficiency, communicative language teaching and reflective teaching for pre-service teachers in Thailand

Abstract

The purpose of this action research is to investigate three aspects of a preparation program based on the Methods and Approaches in Teaching English (MATE) course for student teachers at Rajabhat Institute Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. The study assesses the extent to which training them to use communicative language teaching (CLT) in their practice teaching a) aids student teachers in using English during their practicum; b) helps student teachers to implement CLT in their teaching; and c) assists student teachers to reflect on their teaching practice. The genesis for this study lies in the problems the researcher originally experienced in teaching this Methods and Approaches in Teaching English (MATE) course to student teachers at Rajabhat Institute Nakhon Sawan, Thailand. First, a pilot study was designed to find out specifically what problems student teachers faced in implementing CLT in their practicum. The problems found were: a) the student teachers were deficient in English fluency; and b) they lacked training or practice in using CLT. These problems caused the student teachers to lose confidence in applying CLT in the classroom and therefore to teach based on traditional grammar-centered methods that were better known to them. To address these problems, the structure of the MATE course was changed to incorporate CLT methodology, to include English language improvement, and to incorporate reflective teaching strategies to improve students' CLT-based teaching practice. The focus on communicative language teaching reflects the requirements of the 1999 Thai Education Act which promote life long learning and communicative competence for the actual meaningful use of the target language. To do this, both the learning and teaching process must include the following characteristics: a focus on learner centredness and on meaning, appropriate use of context, skills integration and use of authentic materials in order to reach the goal of communicative competence. The use of reflective teaching helps to keep student teachers focused on using English and CLT, and thus is a key focus of this study. The methodology chosen for the study focuses on the four cyclical steps to undertake action research: planning, action, observing, and reflecting. Data was collected from a variety of sources, including interviews, observation, and diaries. This data was analysed using analytic procedures which show the level of students' reflective teaching as it relates to their consistent use of English and CLT in both their teaching demonstrations and practicum. The intervention program for the MATE course produced student teachers who were able to use English as the medium of instruction. They conducted all of their lessons in English both in the demonstration teaching and in the practicum. Each lesson they taught was also based on the five characteristics of CLT; learner-centredness, meaning, appropriateness, skill integration, and authentic materials. The student teachers were able to reflect on their teaching both in the MATE course and in their practicum. The outcomes from this study suggest that reflective teaching is an effective support procedure that enables student teachers to use English and communicative language teaching procedures more consistently in their classrooms; thereby providing new insights to inform programs for pre-service and in-service practice teaching. Such innovation is needed if Thai teachers are to move from traditional grammar-based teacher-fronted classes to communicative student-centred classes that focus on developing skills for life-long learning.