Arab World English Journal
AWEJ Volume 2, number 2, April 2011 pp.186- 208
The Status of EFL Teacher Education in Jordan
Basmah Issa Tlelan Al-Saleem
The World Islamic Sciences and Education University
Amman –Jordan
Abstract
This study aims at highlighting the status of English as a Foreign Language school teacher education in Jordan during the period 2004-2008 focusing on the objectives, content, assessment, certification and outcomes of five EFL raining programs. Three of these programs are established in cooperation with the British Council and two programs in cooperation with the American Embassy in Amman. The goal is to help decision makers determine the need for the continued development and expansion of the professional training programs to improve the English teaching process in Jordanian schools, in cooperation with the Training and Supervision Department of the Ministry of Education in Jordan. Since this study is a descriptive one, the researcher presents a description, summary and a critique in terms of their content, procedures, assessment and any related activities. The study finds that EFL Teacher Education in Jordan needs to be revised and improved in order to improve the achievement of the Jordanian students in English Language. The improvement should be to a system that not only develops teachers but also nurtures knowledge about teaching. In light of the findings of the study, the researcher recommends the Ministry of Education to invest more in EFL school teacher education as a key component of the education reform in Jordan.
Key words: TEFL, teacher, education, improvement, Jordan, professional development