Discourse Skills of EFL Teachers: Using English Language for Regulative and Instructional Purposes in Classrooms of the Target Language Instruction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/sshr.v1i1.1546Keywords:
Classroom, Discourse skills, Instructional functions, Regulative functions, Target languageAbstract
This study was set to describe EFL teachers’ discourse skills in classrooms of English language. Survey research design was employed. Population of the study was 427 primary school student-teachers of Wollega University. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the participants. The participants were 118 summer II and III student-teachers. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using closed-ended and open-ended questionnaire respectively. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The qualitative ones were analyzed thematically along with the Bultosa (2020) qualitative data sets of classroom observations and introspective interviews which were used for triangulation of the data obtained using the questionnaire. The study revealed discrepancy between the participants' positive perceptions of self-discourse skills and their actual performance. The statistically significant relationships observed correlating the participants’ perceived self-discourse skills were not evidenced by their actual performances. Likewise, the participants’ characteristics and perceived perceptions about self-discourse skills were not found good predicators of their actual performances. These findings put the student-teachers’ experiences of teaching English through using it for regulative and instructional purposes into question. They also have significant implications for teacher training and development endeavors and for L2 teacher education and L2 teaching curricula revisions.
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