초등 영어 지도를 위한 교사의 영어 능력에 대한 학생, 학부모 및 교사의 인식

Perceptions of students, parents, and teachers on teachers’ English proficiency for teaching English in elementary schools.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how elementary school students, parents, and teachers perceive the appropriate level of teachers’ English proficiency in order to teach English at the elementary level, and what reasons they have behind their perception. The participants were 1,605 students of 3rd-6th grades, 322 parents, and 177 teachers. The data were collected from a survey which required the participants to check the appropriate levels according to different language skills based on a scale from 1 to 6. Also, interviews with 36 participants were conducted to find out why the participants concluded those levels were appropriate. The survey revealed a common perception among the participants that the appropriate level of teachers’ English proficiency would not need to be as high as native English speakers (their perceived levels: 2.23 out of 3 from the students, 4.58 and 4.0 out of 6 from the parents and teachers). Similarly, according to the interview data, the parents and teachers suggested what elementary school teachers need is to develop the level in which they can interact and communicate with their students and guide them using English that is appropriate for their students’ cognitive and affective characteristics.