Communicative language teaching: the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of pre-service EFL teachers in western Libya

Communicative language teaching: the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of pre-service EFL teachers in western Libya

The English language has become an international and economically-required medium of communication. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is a well established approach for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). This approach can be a challenge in places where English is not the lingua franca. In the context of Libyan education, CLT is currently seen as a challenging innovation because of the nation’s long history of EFL pedagogy relying on rote learning and textbooks. Furthermore, educational change in Libya has been compromised by political disruption and war. The fast pace of change is another factor, with more Libyan schools being built. However, the biggest dilemma confronted by the Libyan school system is the lack of resources and of teachers, combined with the type of examination system under use which affects CLT.

The aim of this study was (1) to explore pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) and in-service teachers’ (INSTs) beliefs and attitudes towards CLT and (2) to explore the choices they make to engage in their EFL teaching practice, that is, either (a) the grammar-translation method or (b) communicative language teaching. This study sits in the socio-cultural paradigm and draws on constructivism as the epistemological and pedagogical underpinning of CLT. A research design approach was used to investigate beliefs and attitudes. A quantitative study, as the first phase, was followed by a qualitative study in the second phase. The first aim of the study was met by conducting a five-point Likert scale type survey of 79 PSTs and 33 INSTs. The second aim of the study was achieved by conducting classroom observations, keeping researcher notes and conducting interviews in the second phase. A sub-sample of seven pre-service teachers’ classroom pedagogy was observed, and eight individual interviews were conducted with four of these pre-service teachers, two INSTs and two university teachers.

This study also provided information on the issues and barriers that teachers face when applying CLT in real classroom situations. These barriers related to (1) their
beliefs about using only English as a medium of instruction and (2) their fear of their supervisors’ evaluations, which shifted their pedagogical focus. During their teaching practice, the pre-service teachers moved from their awareness of the importance of learning English through exposure to the language to a focus on translation, students’ low English levels, and the length of teaching practical program, which was inadequate for pre-service teachers to be able to put their beliefs into practice. The research concluded that an awareness of these barriers can guide both the education of teachers in Libyan universities and the development of teachers’ CLT practices, post-method. It is anticipated that the findings of this study will support Libyan universities in developing a more consistent approach between primary and secondary public school EFL teachers and tertiary (university) EFL teachers and ensure a more effective practicum experience that involves more reflective and dialogic practice.