The distinctive characteristics of foreign language teachers

Simon Borg, 2006

Fariba Chamani (2016)

Abstract Purpose: To see what it means to be a

language teacher

Method: By exploring the ways in which language teachers are seen by themselves, and teachers of other subjects

Findings: language teachers are distinctive in terms of the nature of subject, content of teaching, teaching methodology, teacher-learner relationships, and contrasts between native/non-native speakers

I. Literature ReviewLanguage teachers’

characteristicsA. Work on disciplinary

characteristicsB. Studies of the good language

teacher

A. Work on disciplinary characteristicsCharacteristics of academic

disciplines have been investigated in psychology and education.

Most of the the work conducted at university settings & the research outside university settings has focused on learners rather than teachers.

A. Disciplinary characteristics of language teachers

1) The nature of the subject matter itself

2) The interaction patterns necessary to provide instruction

3) The challenge for teachers of increasing their knowledge of the subject

4) Isolation 5) The need for outside support for

learning the subject

B. Studies of good language teacherThey highlight the ways in which language

teachers’ characteristics have been conceptualized.

1. Girard(1977) & Prodromou(1991) presented a list of characteristics valued by learners.

2. Brosh(1996) identified the desirable characteristics of language teacher as perceived by language teachers and students in Israel.

B. Characteristics of good language teachersKnowledge & command of the

target languageAbility to organize, explain and

clarify, as well as to arouse and sustain interest and motivation among students

Fairness to students by showing neither favoritism nor prejudice

Availability to students

II Method This study was based on

Interpretive modes of inquiry & a belief in the value of individuals’ perspectives.

The research design was flexible (design decisions can evolve as the study proceeds), as opposed to fixed.

1 Key concepts

No a priori decisions were made about the concept of teachers’ characteristics.

It was operationalized as respondents’ perceptions of the ways in which language teachers were different to teachers of other subjects.

2 Research questions

1) Which particular dimensions of teachers’ characteristics are salient in the distinctiveness of language teachers as reported by the respondents?

2) Do perceptions of distinctiveness seem related in any way to respondents’ backgrounds, such as amount of teaching experience or educational context?

3) To what extent do specialists outside language teaching feel that the distinctive characteristics of language teachers perceived by language teachers also apply to teachers in the specialist areas?

3 Data collection and analysis

Data were collected in a range of contexts, with a variety of individuals and using different procedures.

Five different groups of participants contributed to this study.

The selection of groups was purposive; participants were selected on the basis of their ability, as judged by the researcher, to provide information relevant to the central purposes of the research.

Participants1 Teachers on a postgraduate

course in TESOL: 20 participants 2 Language teacher conference

delegates: 29 delegates 3 Subject specialists: 4 teachers 4 Hungarian pre-service teachers

of English: 151 participants5 Slovene undergraduates in

English: 24 students

III Findings 1. Teachers on a postgraduate

course in TESOL 2. Conference delegates 3. Subject specialists 4. Hungarian and Slovene

undergraduates

1Teachers on a postgraduate course in TESOL

1. Cognitively mature learners engage in conceptually undemanding activities.

2. English language teaching methodology is more progressive than other subjects.

3. Incorrect learner output in language teaching is more acceptable.

4. Language teachers are compared to native speakers.

5.  Language teaching is a political activity. 6. Oral production plays a central role. 7. The subject and the medium for teaching it are one

and the same. 8. The subject matter of language teaching is harder

to define.

2 Conference delegates comments on the eight characteristics above

1. Cognitively mature learners &conceptually undemanding activities: rejected

2. ELT methodology is more progressive than other subjects: both rejected & supported

3. Oral production plays a central role: rejected

The remaining 5 statements were supported. More characteristics were also added to the list.

3 Subject specialists The evolved list of characteristics

was given to the subject specialists to see if the phenomenon described existed in their subject (Yes), had some parallels (Partly), or did not exist (No).

4 Hungarian and Slovene undergraduates

Over 82% of the 151 respondents believed that language teachers are distinct from other teachers in:

1. Methods, activities and materials2. The content of teaching3. The nature of language 4. Relationships with learners 5. Non-native issues 6. Language teachers’ traits

III Discussion 1. Key distinctive characteristics 2. Distinctiveness as context-

dependent 3. Continuing research

2 Distinctiveness as context-dependent

Language teacher is not a universal monolithic phenomenon but a socially constructed phenomenon that may be defined in various ways in different contexts.

Language teacher educators often prepare teachers for specific contexts, based on their own definition of language teacher, rather than westerners’ views.

3 Continuing research

To investigate distinctiveness of language teachers, we need to consider:

1. The views of both insiders & outsiders2. Classroom observation as a

complementary method to oral data3. The distinctive nature of language

relative to other subjects.4. Language teacher distinctiveness in

various contexts

IV Conclusion Distinctiveness of language teachers may vary in different contexts. Thus, it should be explored across different contexts, based on the data obtained through different methods, from both outsiders & insiders.