Qualifying Proficient and Cross-cultural Competent English Teachers in the 21st Century

Conference: The Asian Conference on Language (ACL2022)
Title: Qualifying Proficient and Cross-cultural Competent English Teachers in the 21st Century
Stream: Language and Culture
Presentation Type: Virtual Poster Presentation
Authors:
Ruwaida Abu Rass, Beit Berl Academic College, Israel

Abstract:

Qualifying teachers in the 21st century is based on four principles: Learning to know, learning to be, learning to live together and learning to use advanced technology. To achieve that, teachers should demonstrate a high level of knowledge in the subject matters they teach and to master pedagogical ways, techniques and strategies. In addition, they should be cross-culturally competent and sensitive to social repressions, who are willing to be agents for change. Following these four principles, a course called Multiculturalism in Literature was developed to expose the participants to the lives of immigrants and Native people in English speaking countries, mainly the United States and Canada. The aim was to acquaint the participants with the multicultural reality and the lives of different ethnic groups in these countries, aiming to raise their awareness of cultural diversity, conflicts, adjustment and social justice. To examine the extent of achieving this goal, a qualitative research was conducted to investigate the effect of this course on the 52 participants of this course for three years in a row. The students were required to read short stories and poems written by minority writers, immigrants as well as Natives, watch relevant movies, participate in discussion groups and deliver presentations. The content of the students’ reflections was analyzed. Three broad categories emerged: empathy and understanding, living in between and improving language proficiency, where each category included several sub-categories. Data analysis showed the empathy and understanding of the course participants to the struggles and needs of Native people, immigrants and their children. In addition, they improved their English language proficiency by learning many new vocabulary in context. These results emphasize the need for including literature of immigrants, minorities and marginalized underrepresented groups in English speaking countries for teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) worldwide, mainly in teacher training colleges. The aim is to qualify competent English teachers not only linguistically, but also cross-culturally and morally who will be aware of social injustices, which would extend their roles as language teachers to become agents for change.




Virtual Poster Presentation


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