TESL Trainee Teachers’ Workplace Competencies (English Language Skills) and the Workplace Expectations

Abstract

 In the pursuit of Vision 2020 and National Transformation 2050 (TN50), Malaysia recognizes the pivotal role of the English language as a global communication tool, especially in economic and technological advancements. This initiative aims to enhance global competitiveness, attract international investments, and generate well-paying jobs. Despite this, declining English proficiency among students and graduates poses challenges. Notably, recent government directives highlighted the importance of English competency assessments for civil servants. However, the gap between industry expectations and graduates' skills remains, particularly for non-English program graduates. This study addresses the gap by investigating TESL trainee instructors' language proficiency, Interviews were conducted on the English teachers and practicum observations were used to evaluate TESL trainees' proficiency according to CEFR standards. Findings show English teachers rate most trainees as proficient in the English language and they show confidence in their classroom abilities and readiness to serve. This aligns with the government's efforts to enhance English language proficiency among teachers. Findings from this study suggest that there is need to refine approaches in teaching TESL students and ultimately improving language instruction in Malaysian schools.