English Language Learning in English Language Teacher Education in El Salvador

Abstract

This research study aimed at describing student teachers’ success stories related to the development of English language proficiency in teacher education programs at Salvadoran universities. The research methodology was qualitative and followed a phenomenological approach to understand participants’ lived experiences in learning English in El Salvador. Participants of the study were 62 professors, 57 current student teachers, 16 EFL program coordinators, and 5 alumni who attended to the two-day symposium of applied linguistics held on September 2016. The instrument used was a semi-structured interview with open and close ended questions. The data was analyzed through the use of the qualitative software NVivo 10. The findings revealed that a) teacher education should be emphasized mainly on listening, speaking, and vocabulary, b) the courses that help student teachers to enhance English proficiency are speaking, reading, and grammar, c) student teachers’ proficiency is evaluated mainly through the administration of the international TOEFL-ITP test, oral interviews, and paper and pencil tests, d) the main strategies student teachers employ to be successful on proficiency achievement tests are practice and self-paced learning, e) the strategies universities implement to enhance proficiency in teacher education programs are practice, remedial courses, professional development opportunities, and giving materials for self-study, and f) the activities student teachers frequently do outside the classroom to develop proficiency in English are watching movies, listening to music, and self-practicing.