Qualities of Language Teachers and its Implications to Teacher Orientation Program Development

Abstract

Anchored on the greater premise that students have preconceived ideas of qualities and characteristics of a good language teacher, this study investigates language teacher preferences of freshmen Thai learners and its implications to the development of teacher orientation programs. For this purpose, diaries of Thai learners enrolled in an intensive English program (IEP) were subjected to content analysis using explorative design to be able to formulate new category systems inductively. The result revealed seven major theoretical constructs that summed up the qualities expected by Thai learners from their language teachers: language proficiency, organization and communication skills, character and personality, pedagogical knowledge, socio-affective skills, IT/ICT skills, and cultural competence. On the other hand, an interview regarding the present teacher orientation program among 3 new teachers for the IEP course revealed that the present system was fairly addressing the concerns of the students with its limited topic, activity, and participation of teaching staff.