English Language Teacher Education Research Articles

Pedagogical intentions behind teacher written feedback: The perspectives and practices of an English language teacher educator in Argentina

This paper examines, with specific reference to English language teacher education in Argentina, the pedagogical intentions which underlie and inform the written feedback practices of an L2 writing teacher educator. The study is part of a larger exploratory-interpretive investigation which adopted a within-site, embedded, multiple-case design, and used data obtained from document analysis and a range of interview types (background interviews, stimulated recall interviews, and reflective interviews). The findings demonstrate the influence of multiple pedagogical intentions on the teacher educator's written feedback practices, some with immediate relevance to L2 writing and others which extended beyond this field. This reinforces the conclusions drawn in previous studies that discuss the impact of pedagogical intentions which are broader than the specific content being taught. Additionally, however, the results expand on our current understanding of how pedagogical intentions operate at different levels by illustrating how micro-level, discipline-specific technicalities are embedded within and signified by macro-level pedagogical intentions. The findings thus highlight the need to imbue feedback with educational principles that go beyond feedback itself, and have implications for L2 writing instruction and assessment, and L2 teacher education.

‘Their first language … would be a resource sometimes': preservice English teachers’ preparedness for linguistically responsive teaching

ABSTRACT While the importance of linguistically responsive teaching (LRT) in multilingual classrooms is well documented, preservice English teachers’ conceptions of LRT and the pertinent sociocultural processes that shape their LRT conceptions and practices remain under-researched. Qualitatively examining the experiences and understandings of 15 preservice English teachers in Hong Kong shared in interviews and written reflections, this study reveals a positive attitude towards LRT in general, but a dissonance between LRT consciousness and LRT knowledge/skills. The study also identifies three distinct profiles of LRT teachers (Explorers, Activists, and Initiators) as well as a range of enabling and debilitating factors in understanding and implementing LRT. These findings call for attention to a need for revisiting mainstream English language teacher education trends and embracing more socio-politically informed linguistically responsive approaches.

The effects of generative AI on initial language teacher education: The perceptions of teacher educators

Since the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022, generative AI tools—capable of creating human-like content such as audio, code, images, text, simulations, 3D objects, and videos—have gained significant attention. While the impact of these tools on language teaching and learning has been widely speculated, the perspective of language teacher educators concerning their influence on initial language teacher education (ILTE) remains unexplored. This study investigates how teacher educators, who play a crucial role in adapting ILTE to technological advancements, perceive the effects of generative AI tools on ILTE. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with thirteen English language teacher educators from all four Hong Kong government-funded universities offering ILTE. Findings reveal that participants believe generative AI tools will substantially affect the ILTE curriculum, instruction, and assessment. However, most participants believed they lacked the confidence and competence to address the implications of generative AI tools effectively. This study highlights the need for further research and training to support teacher educators in adapting ILTE to the emerging influence of generative AI.

Professors’ English-only or Multilingual Approaches in English Language Teacher Education at Ecuadorian Universities

Preparing English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers is a key challenge for higher education institutions in countries like Ecuador. This research summary describes the language use practices that university-based English language teacher educators employ when teaching content courses (such as pedagogy and research methods) and explores how these relate to their expressed purposes of teacher education and language ideologies. The convergent mixed-methods design employs survey data from 115 professors from 21 Ecuadorian universities and focus group data from 28 of those professors with various language use approaches. This research is guided by decolonial theory and the Capabilities Approach and by literature on linguistic imperialism, native-speakerism, and multilingualism. Findings extend research on language use from the English teaching field into teacher education and Comparative and International Higher Education research, where exploration of the benefits and drawbacks of English-only versus multilingual approaches are needed given the prevalence of English-medium instruction.

Translingualism and the formation of identities: A duoethnography of two Korean ELT professionals in higher education

English teacher identity research has been often discussed through the lens of native versus nonnative-English-speaking teachers, against which translanguaging is suggested as a counternarrative approach. Utilizing the theoretical and methodological intersection of translingualism and duoethnography, this study illustrates the identity formation of two Korean researchers who seek translingualism. The selected dialogues regarding English language teaching (ELT) issues demonstrate how the authors’ translanguaging instinct and mindset are realized in the context of researching, teaching, using, and probing translinguistic identity. The discussion portrays their realization of identities shuttling between “translinguist” and “translanguager” in individual and collective spaces. The study suggests pedagogical implications for language teachers, teacher educators, and researchers, as well as methodological implications for those considering using duoethnography for exploring translinguistic identity. The study contributes to an emerging discussion on what it means to transform ELT in higher education by acknowledging the translinguistic identity among English language learners, teachers, teacher educators, and researchers.

Practices and Perceptions of Teacher Educators on Learner Autonomy

This study explores practices and perception of English language teacher educator on learner autonomy. It aimed to identify the ways through which teacher educators practice autonomy in students learning and encourage them be autonomous. Using qualitative narrative inquiry research design, the data were collected through interviews with the five English language teacher educators teaching at undergraduate level, of Far Western University, Nepal. The findings of the study highlight a shared understanding of learner autonomy, emphasizing independent learning, self-direction, and responsibility. Teacher educators stress the pivotal role of instructors in promoting autonomy, advocating for a shift from traditional to student-centered methods. Despite a common understanding, challenges persist, including psychological factors, institutional constraints, and socio-cultural beliefs. The study also suggests the need to address these challenges through targeted strategies for successful promotion of learner autonomy in English language classrooms. Moreover, the study shows that even though it is challenging, teacher educators are making efforts to encourage students be autonomous in providing choices, goal-setting, encouraging self-evaluation, finding out the resources, preparing assignments, having class presentations into classroom practice using different strategies.

Pedagogical tact in the English language teacher education programme

AbstractThis study fills a major gap in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher education by examining the integration of pedagogical tact (PT) in an EFL teacher education programme in Turkey. Through an in‐depth examination of the programme and semi‐structured interviews, this study investigated to what extent PT, including empathising with and motivating learners, effective classroom management, differentiated instruction and support for meaningful decision‐making, is integrated. The qualitative content analysis of the programme demonstrated that many courses in the EFL teacher education programme are consistent with aspects of PT. However, there were a few areas where the programme could be further enhanced to better include all aspects of PT. This includes offering courses on effective communication and decision‐making. The interviews conducted with 21 pre‐service EFL teachers also revealed that most of them acknowledged that the programme is based on their potential teaching needs and challenges. However, they offered suggestions to improve the programme such as adding more technology courses and practice‐based implementations. Throughout the study, recommendations are provided regarding how EFL teacher education programmes could be developed and implemented with more emphasis on PT. Hence, the study's findings have important implications for teacher education programme developers in Turkey and international contexts.

Improving pre-service English teachers’ native cultural knowledge and English language knowledge of native culture in a PBL classroom

ABSTRACT Purpose: Globalization underscores the importance of developing language learners' intercultural communication competence (ICC). English language teacher education nowadays thus necessitates pedagogy training on not only linguistic, but also intercultural dimensions. However, the development of PSETs' home-country cultural knowledge (HCK) and English language knowledge of home-country culture (ELKHC) has been overlooked. Given the wide application of project-based learning (PBL), this study aims to enhance Chinese PSETs' HCK and ELKHC via group projects. Top of Form Bottom of Form. Design: The study was conducted within a PSET training course involving 43 participants at a Chinese university. An intervention comprising four group projects was implemented, which required participants to utilize various technologies to showcase Chinese culture via the English language. The instructor's evaluation, students' self-evaluation, and reflective journals were collected. Findings: Quantitative analysis of the students' self-evaluations and the course instructor's evaluations demonstrated that the PSETs made significant progress in HCK and ELKHC. Qualitative analysis of students' reflective journals showed their learning experiences, gains, challenges, and solutions. Originality/value: This study highlights how PBL affords authentic learning experiences and stimulates learning motivation and autonomy. Strategies for helping learners make more progress in HCK and ELKHC via PBL are also discussed. Ultimately, we believe this study offers insights into the training and development of foreign language professionals.

Corpus Literacy Training for In-Service English Language Teachers

Corpus analysis offers a more accurate understanding of a language than intuition but is not widely used in foreign language instruction. This study uses a hermeneutic-phenomenology approach and content analysis to examine the impact of a corpus literacy course on the perceptions and performance indicators of 29 English language teachers. The results suggest that corpus literacy instruction is crucial for language teachers to incorporate corpus into their classroom practices effectively. Even a brief, intensive corpus literacy course can positively alter teachers’ perceptions and abilities, increase their awareness of corpus usage in language teaching, and equip them with the skills needed, highlighting the importance of incorporating corpus literacy into the design of English language teacher education programs.

Supervision Models and Supervisory Feedback in English Language Teacher Education: A Meta-Synthesis Study Adopting a Discourse Analytic Perspective

This meta-synthesis reviewed and synthesized the findings of 53 studies on supervisory post-conferences and feedback with a total of 807 participants published between 2004-2023. The aim of this meta-synthesis was to illustrate the trends in the reviewed studies and synthesize the results of the studies on supervisory discourse and models of supervision in the field of English language teaching. The criteria for eligibility for selection were being empirical, peer-reviewed, and published in English. Articles were scanned through the Web of Science, ERIC, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar till July, 2023. The studies lacking a report of detailed and clear-cut data collection and analysis phases were removed in the appraisal phase to avoid a risk of bias. The results indicated that supervisors implemented directive supervisory styles as well as collaborative approaches exploiting power dynamics such as expert power. The findings also showed that the use of conversational techniques such as mediation, mitigators, and elicitation in supervisory talk play a central role in supervising English language teachers. The results suggested that supervised teachers demonstrated confronting, autonomous, and fluid identities when faced with a directive style of supervision. The limitations of evidence for this study related the search strategy, participants and variations in educational settings.

Three Decolonial Research Methodologies: Interrogating Qualitative Research in English Language Teaching Education

Along this reflection paper, we confront our former understandings of research as women teachers-researchers who intend to take the Epistemologies of the South as ways of being feeling-thinking-doing English language teacher education and research. A personal, academic, and collective journey has intersected and driven us into the decolonial turn to research ELT. Moreover, in this paper, we will share our uncertainties and struggles in an overt attempt to question our personal fine-grained colonial paradigms to find possible ways to demonumentalize research. Our research methodologies are intended to overcome a Western rationality of knowledge production that ingrains the ways through which our knowledge, research, and pedagogical practices are to be constructed. Walking the paths of decoloniality, we have moved from universal to more pluriversal understandings; we have constructed, co-constructed, valued and rescued situated knowledges emerging from our experience in our Global South. In the process, we have lived a mobilization of visions and pathways that destabilize and relocate our practices with a deep relation to that sense of locality that is ours. The aim of the following paper is to socialize how, through our research projects, we have envisioned inter-epistemic relational methodologies, hybrid, and testimonial narratives to portray ways to research English language teacher education with a decolonial spirit.

English Language Teachers’ Experiences of Using ICT in ELT

While technologies have penetrated all regions and states in Nepal – a developing country with challenging terrains – teacher educators’ practices, especially those in remote areas, are still unexplored. Integrating innovative technologies into English language education, in this context, has become essential as their aff ordances help to enhance teaching and learning. This hermeneutic phenomenological research paper, hence, explores the perspectives and experiences of using ICT in English language teaching by four English language teacher educators in Darchula, a remote district located in the Sudurpaschim Province of Nepal. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed thematically. The fi ndings indicate positive attitudes among English language teacher educators towards incorporating ICT in ELT, as it enhances learning and teaching experiences, fosters student engagement, improves access to learning resources, and establishes dynamic and interactive learning environments. This study emphasises the importance of effectively integrating ICT in English language teaching while addressing technical obstacles and striking a balance between online resources to maximise benefi ts and mitigate drawbacks.

Telecollaboration in English Language Teacher Education: A Systematic Review

Telecollaboration practices enable geographically dispersed participants to interact with each other through synchronous or asynchronous computer-mediated communication tools. Telecollaboration plays a significant role in learning cultural differences, raising awareness, and training language teachers by improving intercultural communicative competence (ICC) and language skills. With this role in mind, this paper aims to present a systematic review of the telecollaboration studies conducted within the scope of English language teacher training programs between 2018 and 2022 by analyzing twenty up-to-date and peer-reviewed articles according to the steps of the systematic review study. Along with the differences among study aims and designs, it is found that the findings of the reviewed studies can be grouped under three main themes, which are the benefits of telecollaborative exchanges, the drawbacks associated with telecollaboration and suggestions for further telecollaborative projects. Accordingly, some implications are provided for integrating telecollaboration into language teacher education programs.

Reflection and Collaboration: Barriers to Turkish ELT Teachers` Professional Learning

This pilot study explores the professional learning (PL) of English Language teaching (ELT) teachers in Turkiye, how reflection and collaborative activity play a role in implementing change, and the factors affecting ELT teachers` pursuit of PL. Three ELT teachers were interviewed through narrative interviews, critical incidents and semi structured interviews. Two phrases stood out which encapsulate the different attitudes towards PL - I try no matter what and I try if. While one teacher seems to belong to the first category by showing a high level of motivation to pursue PL regardless of the circumstances, the other two teachers appear to belong to the second category by lacking motivation and feeling motivated only in certain circumstances. As the contexts the teachers were working in were found to affect the power they felt in themselves to bring change, providing individual and collective learning opportunities seems to be very critical for all teachers.

The influence of emotional intelligence awareness on the teaching experiences of university teacher trainees: a quantitative and qualitative analysis

Educating prospective teachers is a complex and interdisciplinary effort, encompassing educational policies, core subject knowledge, and honing essential skills, attitudes, and behaviours necessary for effective classroom teaching. This study focuses on the initial stage of teacher development, exploring how pre-service university students perceive and understand emotional intelligence (EI) and its components, especially as they embark on internships in primary and secondary schools. The emotional dynamics in English language teaching classrooms, involving various emotions among students, teachers, parents, and colleagues are examined. The study underscores the importance of emotional expertise for both students and teachers in facilitating a productive teaching and learning process. A review of relevant literature reveals that while there is extensive research on emotions in teacher training, the emphasis has been primarily on general education, with limited focus on second-language teacher education. EI is seen as a critical factor in teachers' classroom management, pedagogical skills, and overall success within the profession. Additionally, studies on EI within English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher education are relatively scarce but indicate a significant impact on teaching outcomes. This research employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate pre-service teachers' perceptions of EI. Quantitative data was collected through a survey questionnaire measuring participants' agreement with statements related to EI. Qualitative data was obtained through in-depth interviews with selected pre-service teachers. The study involved 32 pre-service university students enrolled in English language teacher education programs about to begin internships at primary and secondary schools in Poland.

A Grounded Theory of Indonesian English Teacher Educators’ Professional and Identity Development in a Blended Professional Development Community

This study aims to explore engagement that shows evidence of the professional development of Indonesian English language teacher educators converging in a blended learning community pseudonymously called the PL community. Further, the study seeks to explore how professional identities, which are also part of the professional development of teachers and teacher educators, are negotiated and claimed. The data was collected through (1) participant observation (participation in Facebook discussions), (2) interviews, and (3) documents (e.g., Facebook interactions/dialogs, workshop materials, or published papers). Grounded theory was used to analyze the data and to theorize emerging themes. Here, three layers of coding (open, axial, and selective) were done. Data analysis suggests that, by actively interacting in the PL community, members experience professional development activities, particularly in teaching, research, and publication. How professional identities were negotiated and claimed was also discussed.

Virtual Exchange as a Transformational Third Space for English Language Teacher Education

This article discusses Vietnam Virtual EXchange for English Language Teaching (ViVEXELT), a project funded by the British Council - Vietnam (Digital Learning Innovation Fund Pilot – Response to COVID-19). It makes a substantial contribution to the theorization of Virtual Exchange as a fertile and inclusive knowledge-sharing Third Space. ViVEXELT proposes a distinctive internationalization of the curriculum (IoC) model, where students and staff involved in formal ELT courses in higher education collaborate with ELT practitioners from other ELT educational sectors to co-construct Sustainable Development Goals-inspired ELT materials. ViVEXELT attracted over 200 participants from 46 different educational level institutions between June 2021 and March 2022. The rich qualitative data collected illustrate that ViVEXELT supported its participants with developing online interactional and intercultural competence, while also providing them with opportunity to reflect on the learning gains from the pandemic for their future ELT practice, such as the effective use of breakout rooms.

Teaching English amidst Coronavirus Pandemic in Bangladesh: Technological Adaptations and Pedagogical Modifications

This research intended to explore what novel adaptations to the existing technological devices and applications, and what changes to the already-practiced pedagogy the English language teachers of Bangladesh made and implemented to continue teaching English amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The study utilized the qualitative methodology applying an open-ended questionnaire on 12 English Language Teaching (ELT) teachers from across the country, who taught English language to various levels of students through online mode during the impasse. The findings of the research demonstrated that ELT teachers effectuated dramatic changes and improvisations to the existing technological devices, programs and applications to respond to the new mode of teaching, and exert the best of it. Simultaneously, the results presented that most of the ELT teachers had to inculcate dramatic modifications to the habituated pedagogical practices, a major portion of which was psychological shift and support.    

Critical approaches to English language teacher education: A narrative inquiry into trainee teachers’ experiences as speakers of English

Working within the framework of critical language teacher education, this article concerns itself with the disenfranchising experiences of a group of trainee English language teachers as speakers of English in the world. It presents the results of a mixed-method narrative inquiry carried out with 198 trainee teachers studying undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in the South of Spain. Both a questionnaire and structured interviews were used to collect participants’ narratives of the disenfranchising experiences they have had as English speakers, their reflections on the factors that played a role in those experiences and their tools to manage them. The ATLAS.ti program was used to carry out the content analysis of the narratives, using both deductive and inductive categories. Results point to the need to address the interrelation of language, power and identity as part of teacher training programs and adopt a critical perspective in English language teacher education in order to equip future teachers to better understand communication and the factors that play a role in it, balance power inequalities in communicative interactions and deal with disenfranchising experiences as English speakers in the world.

Using Corpora for English Language Teacher Education (ELTE)

Using Corpora for English Language Teacher Education (ELTE)