ESL/EFL Teachers’ Role in Moral and Political Education in China and Its Implications for Pre-Service Teacher Education

Abstract

ESL/EFL teaching exhibits a strong compatibility with moral and political education, and its classroom is a natural place for instruction. Teachers assume pivotal roles as leaders, designers, and practitioners, wielding considerable influence over the quality of foreign language teaching through their capacity to impart moral values and cultivate ethical awareness. It is imperative to incorporate moral values into teacher education to equip teachers with the requisite skills to foster moral development in their students. However, the pre-service education in China has failed to address the issue, resulting in a lack of pertinent training. As a result, in-service teachers often encounter challenges when attempting to integrate moral and political education into their pedagogical practices, including a deficiency in relevant knowledge, inadequate skill sets, and inappropriate teaching methods. Consequently, a crucial necessity exists for comprehensive revisions to pre-service education programs, particularly to curriculum and course design, to meet the specific needs of ESL/EFL teachers.