ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM IN MOZAMBIQUE

Gregório Jorge Gonçalves

Abstract


Becoming a professional English language teacher is a challenge in Mozambique, as it moves beyond a simple teacher training process and acquisition of language tools for teaching. In Mozambique, English language teachers are trained in universities to attain Honour’s Degrees in English language teaching. Indeed, this is happening in all the provinces with less control and intervention of the National Council for Quality Evaluation. Achieving academic levels, obtaining certificates for contracts, and access to employment in the education sector are the main goals for many English language teachers. Thus, this paper is a critical analysis of the English language teacher professionalism in Mozambique, considering English as a foreign language used in several contexts, such as: universities, secondary schools, embassies, public and private institutions. Therefore, professional English language teachers play an essential role in the teaching and learning process and communication through the English language. The National Accreditation and Assessment Council (NAAC) in India and the Commonwealth of Learning in Canada (COL) Document (2007) and review of the professionalism of the English language teachers from Richards’ perspectives (2003, 2011, 2021) constitute the framework for the development of critical analysis of the current English language teacher professionalism in Mozambique. This study's qualitative approach was chosen based on discussions and reviews of several authors who have written about the professionalism of language teachers and English language teachers specifically. Practical examples and current praxis of professionalism are contextualised and brought out for solid suggestions and further improvements on the English language teacher competences and praxis. The discussions found out that a clear benchmarking and English language teacher training framework can help the teacher trainees to perform professionally and competently during and when they start teaching in the schools and become professionals not only in Mozambique but in countries where English is learnt as a foreign language.

 

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Keywords


English, language, teacher, professionalism

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejel.v9i4.5592

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