“Isn’t it Our Fault?” Teachers Language Knowledge and Skills

Abstract

No matter where you teach, you are duty-bound to expand your knowledge of language to meet the diverse language needs of students. Junior high school students demonstrate deficits in different domains of foreign language learning, most of which are the result of teachers’ lack of knowledge and skills. A bulk of studies has dealt with different skills and knowledge of language teachers. However, existing studies have rarely made any comparisons between school and language institute teachers. Therefore, in this study, using Brown's (2001) checklist of good language teaching characteristics, and the teacher self-observation form (Christison & Bassano, 1984), teachers’ skills and knowledge of language in these contexts were evaluated. Language institute teachers were found to have higher levels of knowledge and skills as compared to school teachers. The findings have implications for language teachers, syllabus and curriculum designers, and in-service teacher training programs.