In-service Training For Teachers Of English As A Foreign Language In Iraq.

Abstract

This study describes and analyzes the state of in-service training for teachers of English as a foreign language at the Institute for the Development of English Language Teaching in Iraq (IDELTI) in 1979. No previous study has attempted to ask participants in the in-service program what they believe the needs of I.S.T. are. The data collected will serve as an aid to updating current curriculum and, by that, will be useful to IDELTI in responding to the future needs of the I.S.T. program. This study attempts to close the existing information gap; its purpose is to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the trainees' perceptions about the core experience of their in-service training course? (2) What minimum core experience is necessary for training future IDELTI participants? (3) What is the practical level of English language proficiency that teachers of English as a foreign language in Iraq need to acquire? Data for the study were collected by means of a questionnaire which was designed to gather information about the I.S.T. program at IDELTI. The questionnaire was administered to administrators, trainers, and trainees at IDELTI, and the data was collected on-site. A total of 104 trainees, which included primary and secondary school teachers, were the subjects answering the questionnaire. The administration and instructional staff included 4 administrators and 12 trainers. Data analysis concentrated on answering the research questions. With that end in mind, the I.S.T. activities held at IDELTI were analyzed in relation to the number of participants in the program. Analyses were also performed on the data collected from the trainers and administrators in order to ascertain similarities and differences among trainers and participants. In order to measure teachers' English proficiencies, the Michigan Test (Language Proficiency Forms A and B) was used. The test included listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The results indicated that the listening and reading skills were the weakest. Through the questionnaire and personal interviews the problems of Iraqi teachers of English as a foreign language were identified. These included: elementary teachers who teach English are not professionally qualified to teach the English language. They were not prepared to teach English, but to teach elementary school subjects. Students can see little reason to learn English except for passing the national examination. National examinations evaluate reading skills only, which leads teachers to concentrate on this skill at the expense of listening comprehension, speaking and writing skills. Overcrowded classes, poor pay, lack of cooperation between parents and teachers, extensive curriculum for the allotted time, and the lack of audiovisual materials are also problems. It is recommended that a National Training Center for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language be established to improve the situation of teaching English as a foreign language. The Center would: (1) Provide pre-service and in-service training for teachers of English as a foreign language in Iraq. (2) Meet the long-term needs for trained English teachers by training leaders, supervisors, and teacher trainers who will provide quality training on a regional basis. (3) Meet the national need for English teachers not met at the present time.