One Teacher Struggles to Integrate EIL Approaches in a Microteaching Class : an Action Research Project

Abstract

Recently the concept of English as an International Language (EIL) has been pervasively encouraged in the TESOL education. Applied Linguistics have been strongly encouraged the inclusion of teaching EIL perspectives and highlighted the positive contributions of EIL to bilingual English students' agency and identity construction. Whereas studies analyzing the extent to which teaching approaches accommodating EIL perspectives have been growing in number, little is actually known about teachers' experiences in implementing EIL approaches in their classrooms. This study reports an action research project conducted in a Microteaching course in a pre-service teacher education program in Indonesia. In particular. it aims to explore how twelve bilingual English student teachers (BESTs) understand the EIL concepts. It also attempts to document how they native their teaching to accommodate such concepts. Data were collected from teaching journals, focus groups and individual interviews. The study found that students have fragmented and surface understanding of EIL. BESTs perceive EIL merely as exposing the cultural content of the materials and relate them to students' culture. Many of them are of the opinions that EIL is not appropriate to teach grammar and pronunciation. All of them acknowledge the positive contributions of EIL to their self-esteem as beginning bilingual English teachers. Pedagogical implication of the study toward pre-service teacher education programs will be discussed at the end of the paper