The inconsistency between the ideals and actuals of teaching EFL speaking skills: the case of upper primary school novice teachers in Ethiopia

Abstract

Teaching skill is a cumulative result of principled education and practical experience. Thence, novice teachers encounter hurdles until they sharpen their knowledge obtained from the principled training and acquire new ones through experience. Despite the endeavors Ethiopia has been making at different hierarchies to promote teachers’ skills and quality of education, various studies indicate that upper primary school EFL teachers lack adequate knowledge and skills on pedagogic teaching methods. This has been considered as the main factor for students’ low English language proficiency and the problem worsens provided teachers’ lack of experience. However, little research has been done in order to realize neophyte teachers’ experiences in their daily activities. The focus of this study, then, is examining the methodological performances of upper primary school EFL novice teachers during speaking instructions. Three EFL novice teachers are selected through purposive sampling technique and data are collected through document analysis, observations, and interviews. The obtained data are organized and analyzed thematically and interpreted qualitatively. The results show that upper primary school EFL novice teachers use traditional teacher-centered methods and display poor pedagogic teaching skills due to lack of adequate knowledge from pre-service education and absence of in-service supports.