ERIC Number: EJ1316361
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2191-611X
EISSN: N/A
An Initial Assessment of the Academic and Professional Profile of Modern Foreign Languages' Teachers in UK Higher Education
Language Learning in Higher Education, v11 n2 p527-535 2021
The aim of this activity report is to provide an initial appraisal of the current makeup of the professional group of modern foreign language teachers in UK Higher Education. The report is in two parts: a literature review that identifies the main defining qualities of modern foreign languages teachers, and an evaluation of the professional and academic profiles of language teachers in UK higher education, as displayed in the institutional websites of the universities where they work. The analysis of the data collected corroborates the characteristics identified in the literature: the low status of teaching staff, the often unconventional entry paths into the profession, the prevalence of the "native speaker" construct as a desirable feature in candidates who aspire to teach the language, the disparity in qualifications of language teachers, and their low engagement in research activities. Future prospects involve the verification (or amendment, where necessary) of the data collected with accounts from individuals who work as language teachers.
Descriptors: Modern Languages, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Language Teachers, Foreign Countries, Native Speakers, Teacher Characteristics, Web Sites, Universities, Teacher Qualifications, Higher Education, College Faculty, Language Proficiency, Profiles
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A