EFL SCHOOLTEACHERS’ LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AS A KEY FACTOR IN THE LANGUAGE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Received: 29th September 2023; Revised: 30th November 2023, 01st December 2023; Accepted: 04th December 2023
Keywords:
EFL Schoolteachers, English Language Proficiency, Language Educational Environment, Urban Schools, Rural SchoolsAbstract
This research investigates the significance of schoolteachers’ English Language (EFL) proficiency as a crucial factor for developing the language educational environment in Kazakhstan. The study explores the theoretical aspects of the language educational environment. It focuses on the strategies EFL schoolteachers employ to enhance their English language proficiency and their perceived additional support needs. 525 EFL teachers, including 301 from urban schools and 224 from rural schools, participated in the study. The findings from the questionnaire revealed that urban teachers display a more substantial commitment to consistent language skill enhancement, actively participating in language courses, and engaging in communication with native speakers. In contrast, rural teachers experience language barriers in communicating with native speakers due to limited interaction opportunities. Addressing the diverse needs of EFL schoolteachers holds paramount importance for the effective development of the language educational environment, particularly across rural contexts. The identified support needs emphasize technical assistance, interaction with native speakers, availability of language courses, and access to educational materials. This study contributes valuable insights into language proficiency enhancement strategies and support requirements across urban and rural educational landscapes.
References
Batyrova, A. (2021). Understanding Kazakhstani Students’ Challenges in Speaking English and Their Strategy Use: A Phenomenographic Study. [Master’s Thesis]. Nazarbayev University: Graduate School of Education.
Berry, R. (1990). The role of language improvement in in-service teacher training: Killing two birds with one stone. System, 18 (1), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/0346-251X(90)90032-Z
Bridges, D., & Sagintayeva, A. (2014). Introduction. In D. Bridges (Ed.), Educational reform and Internationalization: The Case of School Reform in Kazakhstan (pp.XII-1). Cambridge University Press.
Karabassova, L. (2020a). Understanding Trilingual Education Reform in Kazakhstan: Why Is It Stalled? In D. Egea (Ed.), Education, Equity, Economy: Education in Central Asia: A Kaleidoscope of Challenges and Opportunities (1 ed., Vol. 8, pp. 37-50). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50127-3_3
Karabassova, L. (2020b). CLIL as part of mainstream education: A grounded theory exploration of secondary school science teachers` experiences. Nur-Sultan: Kazakhstan Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1775781
Littlewood, W., &Yu, B. (2011). First language and target language in the foreign language classroom. Language Teaching, 44(1), 64–77. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444809990310
Medgyes, P. (2001). When the teacher is a non-native speaker. In: Celcie-Murcia M. (Ed.) Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language (pp.415–427). Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.
Nemov, R.S. (1995). Psikhologiya. Uchebnik dlya vysshikh pedagogicheskikh uchebnykh zavedeniy. [Psychology. Textbook for higher pedagogical educational institutions]. Moscow: Vlados.
OECD (2019). PISA 2018 Results (Volume I): What Students Know and Can Do. PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://doi.org/10.1787/5f07c754-en
Panov, V.I. (2006). Psikhodidaktika obrazovatel'nykh sistem. [Psychodidactics of educational systems. St. Petersburg.
Yasvin, V.A. (2001). Obrazovatel'naya sreda: ot modelirovaniya k proyektirovaniyu. [Educational environment: from modeling to design]. Moscow.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
