Competence and Performance #2 - The language proficiency factor

In a new series of posts, Interchange author and world-renowned linguist Jack C. Richards is looking at what distinguishes the very best language teachers, and what we can learn from them. After yesterday’s introduction, today Jack is looking at language proficiency.

Most of the world’s English teachers are not native speakers of English, and it is not necessary to have a native-like command of a language in order to teach it well (Canagarajah 1999). Some of the best language classes I have observed have been taught by teachers for whom English was a foreign or second language. Conversely, some of the worst classes I have observed have been taught by native speakers. So the issue is, how much of a language does one need to know to be able to teach it effectively, and how does proficiency in a language interact with other aspects of teaching (Bailey 2006; Kamhi-Stein 2009)?

To answer the first question we need to start by considering the language-specific competencies that a language teacher needs in order to teach effectively. These include the ability to do the following kinds of things:

To comprehend texts accurately
To provide good language models
To maintain use of the target language in the classroom
To maintain fluent use of the target
To give explanations and instructions in the target language
To provide examples of words and grammatical structures and give accurate explanations (e.g., of vocabulary and language points)
To use appropriate classroom language
To select target-language resources (e.g., newspapers, magazines, the Internet)
To monitor his or her own speech and writing for accuracy
To give correct feedback on learner language
To provide input at an appropriate level of difficulty
To provide language-enrichment experiences for learners

Learning how to carry out these aspects of a lesson fluently and comprehensively in English is an important dimension of teacher learning for those whose mother tongue is not English. There is a threshold proficiency level the teacher needs to have reached in the target language in order to be able to teach effectively in English. A teacher who has not reached this level of proficiency will be more dependent on teaching resources (e.g., textbooks) and less likely to be able to engage in improvisational teaching (Medgyes 2001).

For teachers who are native speakers of English, other discourse skills will also need to be acquired – skills that enable the teacher to manage classroom discourse so that it provides maximum opportunities for language learning. These discourse skills relate to the following dimensions of teaching:

To be able to monitor one’s language use in order to provide suitable learning input
To avoid unnecessary colloquialisms and idiomatic usage
To provide a model of spoken English appropriate for students learning English as an international language
To provide language input at an appropriate level for learners

However, apart from the contribution to teaching skills that language proficiency makes, research has also shown that a language teacher’s confidence is also dependent upon his or her own level of language proficiency, so a teacher who perceives herself to be weak in the target language will have reduced confidence in her teaching ability and an inadequate sense of professional legitimacy (Seidlhofer 1999). This may be why research into what teachers’ views of their needs for professional development generally identifies the need for further language training as a high priority (Lavender 2002).

A variety of approaches have been proposed to address the language proficiency of non-native–speaking English teachers. Many link the language component to the methodology component, so that teachers practice the language skills needed to implement particular classroom teaching strategies (Cullen 1994; Snow, Kahmi-Stein, and Brinton 2006). In this way language proficiency is linked to classroom teaching and to carrying out specific instructional tasks. Cullen (2002) uses lesson transcripts to help teachers develop a command of classroom language. However, in general, insufficient attention has been given to the issue of language proficiency in many TESOL teacher-preparation programs.

References and Further Reading

Read all the posts in this series: