Teacher Preparation Needs in TESOL: The Results of an International Survey

Abstract

To arrive at an answer to the question of which kinds of train ing to offer in its ESOL teacher preparation program, the Communi cations and Language Arts Division of Brigham Young University — Hawaii Campus conducted an international needs assessment survey of TESOL educators and employers dealing with the areas they felt prospective ESOL teachers should be prepared in. This report' discusses previous related research, explains the specific purposes and methods of the BYU-HC survey, analyzes the responses to ques tionnaire items in four general and sixty specific areas of TESOL training, and arrives at conclusions based on this analysis. In the analysis, responses of the overall group surveyed and those of a number of geographical and institutional-status subgroups are com pared and significant intergroup differences are noted. Generally, questionnaire respondents expressed a need for more extensive train ing in TESOL methods and materials and in specific techniques for teaching language skills - especially listening comprehension.

The Knowledge, Experience, Skills, and Characteristics TESOL Employers Seek in Job Candidates

“…With high levels of unemployment in the United States (U.S. Department of Labor, ), and the fact that over 400 university programs throughout the United States and Canada graduate TESOL professionals with certificates, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees (Christopher, ), the competition for full‐time TESOL positions is fierce. Unfortunately, only a few studies, now more than 10 years old, have investigated employment issues and concerns in the field of TESOL (Day, ; Henrichsen, ; Pennington, ; Tanner, ).…”