A study on self-assessment of current language skills: The case of Turkish teachers of English

Öz

As a consequence of increasing demand for learning a foreign language, the population of language teachers has increased. As English is the most preferred language all over the world, English language teachers have become a subject for examination. Given the fact the majority of the English language teachers around the world are nonnative speakers, their proficiency has become crucial. This study aimed at providing baseline data on self-assessment of Turkish teachers of English regarding their current proficiency in four language skills. Data for the study were collected through a three-part questionnaire based on CEFR C1 can-do statements. A total of 70 Turkish teachers of English working in state and private schools participated in the study. The findings revealed that teachers find themselves proficient in almost four language skills. The data collected also showed that Turkish teachers of English mostly think that they are competent enough in conveying the meaning of what they read and they are more likely to use advanced vocabulary in written con-texts than in spoken interactions. However, the analysis of the open-ended questions revealed that there is still room for language improvement.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• English Language Teachers
• Turkish Teachers of English
• Teacher Competency
• Proficiency
• CEFR

Kaynakça

1. Alvarenga, M. B., Concario, M., Consolo, D. A., Lanzoni, H., Martins, T. H. B., & Silva, V. (2009). An examination of foreign language proficiency for teachers (EPPLE): The initial proposal and implications for the Brazilian context. In Congresso Internacional Da Abrapui, 2, 1-15.
2. Andrews S (2003) Teacher language awareness and the professional knowledge base of the L2 teacher. Language Awareness 12(2): 81–95.
3. Atmaca, Ç. (2017). English teachers’ perspectives about teacher competencies in terms of professional identity. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 17 (4), 1641-1669.
4. Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191-215.
5. Büyükyavuz, O. & İnal, S. (2008). A Descriptive Study on Turkish Teachers of English Regarding their Professional Needs, Efforts for Development and Available Resources. The Asian EFL Journal Quarterly, 10(3), 215-233.
6. Competency. (2020). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/competency
7. Council of Europe. (2001). Common European framework of reference for languages. Cambridge UP: Cambridge.
8. Crystal, D. (2017). English as a global language (Second edition.). Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press.

9. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2002). Handbook of self-determination research. (Eds.). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.
10. Elder, C. (2001). Assessing the language proficiency of teachers: are there any border controls?. Language Test-ing,18(2), 149–170.
11. Hayes, David & Chang, Kyungsuk & Jeon, Young-Joo. (2017). Competency Frameworks and Implications for Teacher Assessment. Advanced Science Letters. 23. 9778-9782. 10.1166/asl.2017.9796.
12. Hizriani, N. & Rahayu, P. S. (2014). English teachers’ professional development at Hulu Sungai Selatan. South Kali-mantan. Paper presented at the TEFLIN International Conference, Solo, Indonesia.
13. İnceçay, G. (2011). A critical overview of language teacher education in Turkish education system: From 2nd constitu-tional period onwards (1908-2010). Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 186-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.03.071
14. Karakaş, A. (2012). Evaluation of the English language teacher education program in Turkey. ELT Weekly, 4(15). 1-16.
15. Kömür, Ş. (2010). Teaching knowledge and teacher competencies: a case study of Turkish preservice English teachers. Retrieved from: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10476210.2010.498579?scroll=top&needAccess=true
16. Martyniuk, M. (2005). Relating language examinations to the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Taylor, L.& Weir C.J. (Eds.). Multilingualism and Assessment (pp. 9-20). Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15434303.2010.498905?casa_token=6gJTZ4BRemcAAAAA:FBCXPe8NjfD2bFdyEe6YmXHjrSZapngvHaFd0jqXkU5oSFuYzc_cCMcQHp4sgChBXNbkNsY17gZ_9LQ
17. McNamara, D. 1991. Subject knowledge and its application: problems and possibilities for teacher educators. The Journal of Education for Teaching, 17(2): 113–128.
18. Mirici, I. H. (2007). Training multicultural and plurilingual children with an identity of European citizenship. Pro-ceedings of the International Academic Conference Children’s Identity and Citizenship in Visegrad Context, Pre-sov University, 29-32.4.
19. Mukmimin, A., Sulistiyo, U.& Yanto, Y. (2016). In the Spirit of Quality Student Teachers’ English Proficiency and Pedagogical Skills: Teacher Educators and School Principals’ Perception. Turkish Journal of Education, 5(3). 157-169. Doi: 10.19128/turje.81461
20. Niculescu, B. O. (2014). Specific Competencies Required in Promoting the Quality of the English Language Teaching Process. Buletin Stiintific, 2(38), 144–151.
21. Pachler, N., Evans, M. and Lawes, S. 2007. Modern Foreign Languages: Teaching School Subjects 11–9, Oxford: Routledge.
22. Richards, J. C. (2001). Curriculum development in language teaching. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Richards, J. C.
23. Richards, J. C. (2017). Teaching English through English: Proficiency, pedagogy and performance. RELC Journal, 48(1), 7-30.
24. Seidlhofer, Barbara. (2004). Research Perspectives on Teaching English as a Lingua Franca. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics. 24. 209 - 239. 10.1017/S0267190504000145.
25. Selvi, K. (2007, May 30-June 2). The English language teachers’ competencies. Paper presented at The Fifth Interna-tional JTET Conference, University of Debrecan, Hungary.
26. Shulman, L. S. & Shulman, J. H. (2004). How and what teachers learn: A shifting perspective. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 36(2), 257–271.
27. Williams, W. (1975). The training teachers of English as a foreign language. English Language Teaching Journal, 29, 107-115.