Language attrition and retention among non-native speaker EFL teachers.

摘要

The attrition and retention of language skills acquired through classroom instruction were examined for a group of non-native speaker EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers in Colombia. A group of undergraduates majoring in EFL Education-Languages was considered as the baseline reference for proficiency. Four instruments of assessments were used: self-assessment of their proficiency at the end of the acquisition period (Time 2) and current assessment (Time 3) through a "can-do" scale for their ability to speak English, understand spoken English, and understand written English; global self-assessment of any change in their language skills between Time 2 and Time 3; a standardized test of current proficiency, the MTELP; and the evaluation of pronunciation of voiceless stops/p,t,k/ via analysis of VOT (Voice Onset Time).; EFL teachers working in public schools reported decrease in their language skills, while EFL teachers working in private language centers reported increase. On objective measures of current proficiency, public school teachers showed the lowest level of proficiency, language center teachers showed the highest level, and the undergraduates showed an intermediate level of proficiency.; The teachers' perceived level of proficiency showed a statistically significant correlation with the standardized test, confirming the reliability of self-assessments among adults. The use of English inside and outside the classroom was found to be the strongest factor correlating with the proficiency as assessed by the MTELP. The dissertation demonstrates the need to provide non-native speaker EFL teachers with advanced English courses as part of their permanent in-service teacher training and discusses the implications of the attrition of language skills among EFL teachers for pre-service and in-service teacher education programs.