In this seminar we will examine issues related to the preparation and work of teachers of English as a foreign language around the globe. Taking a critical approach, discussions, readings, and guest speakers will address local, national, and international concerns with standardized testing, cram schools, differential valuing of native- and non-native English speaking teachers, preservice and inservice teacher education, resources, workload expectations, curriculum, and assessment, among other topics. We will also consider ways that EFL teachers can be innovative within their individual contexts and classrooms through professional development, teacher research, and critical pedagogy. The course will introduce students to interview research methods and qualitative content analysis, with a final project that might be a collaborative website profiling EFL teachers around the world.
Department of Second Language Studies
University of Hawaii at Manoa