ERIC Number: EJ1204578
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Feb
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1072-4303
EISSN: N/A
'My Training Has Failed Me': Inconvenient Truths about Second Language Teacher Education (SLTE)
Farrell, Thomas S. C.
TESL-EJ, v22 n4 Feb 2019
This paper is motived by an email message the author received recently from a practicing, 'well-qualified' (BA and MA in Linguistics and a (200 hundred hour) TESL Certificate) ESL teacher in the US who was reaching out because she felt her training as a teacher had failed her. This prompted the author to reflect on two main inconvenient truths related to how language teachers are educated from their perspective in order to give a voice to the voiceless (the practicing teachers). These are: "Inconvenient Truth #1: Theory/Practice Gap"; "Inconvenient Truth #2: No Contact With Newly Qualified Teachers." The author noted that truths remain 'inconvenient' to teacher educators only because many fail/refuse to acknowledge this 'truth' exists or even understand why it exists. However, rather than just pointing out these inconvenient truths, the paper suggests possible solutions to each of these so that the lived experiences of learner teachers, newly qualifies teachers (NQTs) and experienced teachers can be greatly enhanced.
Descriptors: Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, English (Second Language), Language Teachers, Teacher Education Programs, Teacher Qualifications, Electronic Mail, Teacher Attitudes, Educational Attitudes, Theory Practice Relationship, Teacher Educators, Professional Isolation, Experienced Teachers, Beginning Teachers
TESL-EJ. e-mail: editor@tesl-ej.org; Web site: http://tesl-ej.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A