EFL TEACHER CERTIFICATION AND

STUDENTS’ COMPETENCE: AN ENIGMA

OR STIGMA?

Widiatmoko
E.: moko.geong@gmail.com

Presented at the 3rd JETA Conference, July 3-4, 2006

Yogyakarta State University
Certification:
 corresponds to competence and

accreditation
 in 1592 as ‘when a thing by perswasions is

to beate into our minds, that after that we

neuer doubt anye more’
 turns into an icon in the educational terrain

which purports to conduct activities in a

manner that upholds standards for
competent practice in a profession,
occupation, role, or skill
Competence in:
student’s competence,
teacher’s competence,
communicative competence,
competence relates to principles,
knowledge, skills
competence corresponding to
attributes of persons or objects which
are latent and possibly measured.
Accreditation:
 mainly issued in this country

 label of educational institutions that satisfy

requirements (in physical aspects, of

students’ qualities and quantities, of
teachers’ qualities and quantities, academic
administration)
 So, corresponds to the attainment in

aspects or dimensions of objects

They in relation to:
Evaluation: process of value consideration
using procedures (project, learning),
Assessment: process of information
gathering from objects or persons,
Measurement: scoring or qualifying to
attributes of the objects or persons,
Test: process of dimension involvement in
constructing instruments
When certification in empirical practice:
teachers teach different and unrelated subject matter
teacher knowledge and skill improvement in schools
vary
students’ determined by teacher’s qualification
diversity of teachers’ knowledge, thought, skill,
attitude, and facility due to diversity of ethnics,
geographical site, socio-economic strata, information
technology distribution, cultural extent brings about
disparity in students’ and educational quality
Argument in certification truly complicated:
That a teacher is a seminal key determining changes
and improvement in schools and education
To comprehend certification,
necessary to focus on problems
corresponding to subject matter
teachers, e.g., EFL teachers
Simply requires comparative
analysis on history and issue of
FL teacher certification
The issue in 1970s when a movement of communicative approach:
Communicative Competence: An Experiment in Foreign Language
Teaching (Savignon, 1972),
Teaching Language as Communication (Widdowson, 1978),
The Communicative Approach to Language Teaching (Brumfit &
Johnson, 1979),
On the Theoretical Bases of Communicative Approaches to Language
Teaching and Testing (Canale & Swain, 1980),
Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction (Littlewood,
1981),
Communicative Syllabus Design (Munby, 1981),
Communicative Competence: Theory and Classroom Practice
(Savignon, 1983),
The Communicative Syllabus: Evolution, Design and Implementation
(Yalden, 1983).
Language testing such as Communicative Language Testing:
Revolution or Evolution (Morrow, 1979) and Communicative
Language Testing (Weir, 1990).
Language testing has long history:
before 1970 on listening, speaking, reading, writing,
structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation (discrete)
in 1979, criticism on test design where employed
communicative approach
in 1980s, influence of SL acquisition research was a basis
in 1990s, link between language test and measurement
was central by IRT
in 2000s, issue of authentic assessment had influence
resulted in project, self, performance, portfolio, and
attitude assessment
possible concerned with changes of philosophical bases
on FLT on design and construction of language testing,
and on language teacher certification respectively
The changes are common
E.g., proficiency-based LT employs
communicative approach; involves cognitive,
affective, and psycho-sensoric aspects
influenced by society attitude and needs,
learning atmosphere, learning modes, amounts
of learning time allocation, and quality of FL
teachers
FL teacher certification as a determinant based
on language test
Better to review issues related to certification
in modern countries
In 1983, annual meeting of American Council on the
Teaching of Foreign Languages and American Association
of Teachers of German, formulated proficiency-based
FL education; by Educational Testing Service, ACTFL
held project of FL proficiency guidelines and
workshop on testers of FL. Purpose of training
teachers of FL for high qualifications
In practice, candidates joining certification take Pre-
professional Skills Test (reading, writing, and
calculation skills); satisfy project objectives
(understanding changes in profession, certification,
and passing grade requirements; gaining benefits of
FL evaluation; knowledge of language proficiency
test; and information related to requirement of
language proficiency)
 In development, the program
undergoes significant correctness
 FL teachers to complete ‘approved

program’ of teacher education in

college or university
 Certain minimum GPA required

 A number of credit hours in FL

certified
 To gain ‘approved program’, institution

to demonstrate they satisfy standards

Changes of certification assessment continues:
Oral interview of Proficiency-Based Foreign Language
Teacher Certification in Texas used since 1984
The National Teachers Examination used for certification
in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Mississippi, South
Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
Georgia and Oklahoma develop test for certification
involving FL teachers and team from National
Evaluation Systems of Amherst
North Carolina invites professors and FL teachers to
develop test for certification
Massachusetts employs test for certification by
Massachusetts Language and Culture Assessor Center
Kentucky and West Virginia develop test for
certification
 In 2005 issue of FL/SL teacher
certification in EU was in debate
 Due to factors affecting differences in

countries: system, purposes, formats,

funding, classification, socio-political,
historical, economic, cultural grounds,
human resources
 Reported in Education Guardian, in
England, more or less 114 institutions
undertaking certification programs with
different standards of certification
Common when issue of FL teacher
certification affects strike in opinion in
Indonesia
Based on comparative analysis, focus
of certification dealt with formulating
dimensions (objective, needs analysis,
curriculum, leveling system,
education, testing system, examiner,
and guarantees and program
evaluation
DIMENSIONS CERTIFICATION:
Its planning not free from objectives
Relates to how program of certification
comprehensively formulated
Do with characteristics (equity among FL
teachers to possess similar chances to
develop idea in teaching, to let students
have similar opportunity for FL study
regarding to diversity of socio-economic,
cultural, and ethnic grounds)
NA does with idea of bridging gaps
between FL teachers in city and that in
rural area
It affects curriculum design for certification;
difference in curriculum loading enrich
uniqueness of certification program in
different countries
Certification curriculum as manifestation of
educational planning reflects description of
certification achievement; authorizes FL
teachers, principals, stakeholders, society
(parental community), and educational
experts
Certification leveling system required since
diversity of regions and other characteristics
(social, cultural, extent of information and
technology)
Some years to undertake FL teacher
certification
Education and training for certification
considered; FL teachers have a chance to
upgrade knowledge in language skills,
pedagogy, and cultural understanding;
practices knowledge in classroom
simulations increasing learning climate
creation
Certification assessment system is significant
Leveling of certification concerns level of
attainment
Certification examiner is important part
Examiner responsible for teachers’ quality
Examiner initiates board or commission as
organization facilitating certification assessment
in each level
And, program evaluation as part of certification
program, including input, process, and output
evaluation
Input evaluation: requirements for certification
program; process evaluation: activities of
education and training program; output
evaluation: products of certification in each level
EXPECTED STUDENTS’ COMPETENCE
In line with issue, wise to adopt and adapt
standards (communication skills, knowledge
through culture, connection with other
disciplines, insight into nature of language and
culture, and being in multilingual communities)
First, communication: on interpersonal
communication, i.e., direct oral and written
communication between individuals in personal
contact; on one-way listening and reading in
which student experienced and ability to control
what they hear and read impact students’
development of comprehension
Understanding culture: on practices
derived from traditional ideas and
attitudes of culture; and on products of
culture and on how they reflect
perspectives of culture
In terms of connecting with other
disciplines, learning today is no longer
restricted to specific discipline
(interdisciplinary)
Developing insight into nature of language and
culture: on impact that learning linguistic
elements in new language has on students’ ability
to examine FL; compare and contrast two
languages or more;
As students expand knowledge of cultures
through language learning, they discover
perspectives, practices, and products similar and
different from their culture
And, that students use language both within and
beyond school setting focuses on language as a
tool for communication throughout life
CLOSING
Certification corresponds to competence and accreditation
Certification related to the root of history launched in past
hundred years
Various discussions do with different philosophical bases
adopted in various regions in the world
Nowadays, ideas on certification formulation are
indisputable
Issue of FL teacher certification has to do with its
dimensions
Efforts: reviewing history, issue, and recent trends of
certification through empirical practice
Reviewing comparatively, expected clear orientation and
implementation of FL teacher certification and opens
broader minds to better improvement in education,
indicated by competent students.
THANK YOU