Pre-Service EFL Teachers' Foundational Linguistic Knowledge in Early Literacy Instruction

by Melike Ünal Gezer (TED University, Ankara, Turkey)

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In the heart of this present study is literacy instruction and teacher training for an effective early literacy development. The two complex skills- reading and writing- require teachers to have impeccable grasp of linguistic constructs including phonemic awareness and the alphabetic principle. Though numerous variables are at stake in accurate reading and writing, teaching those skills effectively is highly important (Kahn-Horwitz, 2015; Joshi, Binks, Hougen, Dahlgreen et al., 2009; Moats, 2014). For an effective learning experience in reading and spelling instruction, teachers should possess knowledge of linguistic components of the language and of appropriate methodology to facilitate this acquisition, even at the pre-service teacher level. Teachers’ knowledge of phonological, morphological, and orthographic features of English correlate with elementary level young language learners’ word reading and spelling (Kahn-Horwitz, 2015). Sample included fifty pre-service English language instructors enrolled in an English language education program. The English language teacher knowledge survey which was administered in two different sessions: 1. Phonological and Phonemic Knowledge and Ability Test and 2. Morphological Knowledge and Ability Test was administered. Study results revealed the participating EFL teacher candidates scoring low in linguistic knowledge survey.  Yet during the semi-structured interviews, the need for the integration of foundational linguistic knowledge for successful literacy instruction and for a comprehensive training provided by teacher education programs tailored to the needs of young EFL learners has been reported.  While the pre-service English language instructors perform more strongly on the knowledge items, they were found not to perform as effectively on the skill items on the same type of basic language construct. All in all, the study results revealed the participating pre-service English language instructors are not knowledgeable in phonics instruction in English language education.

In the light of the study findings, it became clear there is little emphasis on basic language constructs in pre-service English teacher education in Turkey. While teacher education programs are loaded with theoretical information, practice has been disregarded. An equal emphasis on theory and practice should be placed in pre-service teacher education programs in Turkey.

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