This paper attempts to examine the current situation of college English teachers’ professional development in China and to offer some tentative suggestions for college English teachers to be better prepared for the changes and the challenges they encounter in their career. To these ends, a survey was carried out based on a professional development model by means of questionnaire, providing detailed information of college English teachers including their pre-service learning and preparation, working environment, professional development and perceptions of professional development. The results show that a large number of participants hadn’t had any practice teaching before they were employed as college English teachers and that more than half of them have never participated in any formal in-service professional programs related to English teaching. However, most teachers indicated that they had involved themselves in different types of informal professional development activities. On the whole their ways of professional learning are rather limited and not very effective. Besides, there is a lack of institutional support for college English teachers in their ongoing professional development. In view of these problems and obstacles, this paper reinforces the significance of teacher’s awareness of their own professional growth and suggests a variety of job-embedded collaborative learning activities for teachers. It also appeals for tangible support from university administrators.
목차
ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW Teacher Training, Teacher Education, and Teacher Professional Development Grant’s Approach to Professional Development University Teacher Training and Research in China METHOD Participants Instruments Data Collection SELECTED FINDINGS Pre-service Learning and Preparation College English Teachers’ Professional Development Work Environment Perceptions of Their Own Professional Development DISCUSSION IMPLICATIONS LIMITATIONS THE AUTHOR REFERENCES APPENDIX
The goals of Asia TEFL are to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with the teaching and learning of English in Asia. In order to accomplish this, Asia TEFL will pursue the following goals:
1. To link ELT professionals in joint research on issues and concerns regarding English teaching and learning in the Asian context.
2. To publish an academic journal, The Asia TEFL Journal, as an internationally recognized journal in the field of English language teaching.
3. To host conferences and seminars addressing important issues concerning ELT in Asia.
4. To develop proficiency guidelines and assessment methods designed for the needs of the Asian context.
5. To develop programs for Asian learners and teachers of English to build their English language proficiency and cultural understanding and provide them with the skills required to be efficient English teaching professionals.