Читать книгу English in Inclusive Multilingual Preschools - Kirsten Birsak de Jersey - Страница 20

Most preschool teachers in Austria are educated within the framework of the state school system of secondary education in which the subject English is a compulsory component. This, however, does not guarantee that the preschool teachers develop a level of communicative English language competence that would enable them to confidently teach English in preschool. Data referring to this issue resulted from the following question, which was asked to those preschool teachers who could not imagine teaching English:

Do you have the feeling that your English is adequate / not adequate? (Haben Sie das Gefühl, dass ihr Englisch ausreichend / nicht ausreichend ist?) (question 4c-1).

Of those preschool teachers who answered, more than half of them felt their English competence level was not adequate to teach English (58.2%) (→ statistical data 19).

Figure 20:

Statistical data 19: Teachers’ communicative English language competence

This is a substantial reason why they considered it to be a burden to teach it. Needless to say, a sound communicative English language competence that makes teachers feel competent is an essential part of their professional competence (→ chapter 4.1). The majority addressed this issue – if mostly only very generally – but occasionally to the extent that native-like language competence was considered by teachers to be a basic requirement to teach English in preschool. Throughout, the lack of available time to develop professionally was seen as being one of the general issues in preschool teacher education:

“Kann selbst nicht so gut Englisch. Fehlende Kenntnisse und Unterlagen” (qu. 4a: burden).

“Meine Englischkenntnisse sind nicht so gut” (qu. 4a: burden).

“Mein Englisch wäre zu schlecht” (qu. 4c-4).

“Es ist eher eine Belastung, da ich die Fremdsprache nicht perfekt spreche” (qu. 4a: burden).

“Mein Englisch ist nicht gut genug, bei Pädagoginnen muss das freiwillig sein” (qu. 4c-4).

“Ich bin kein native speaker” (qu. 4c-4).

“Weil die Fremdsprache nicht die Muttersprache ist, braucht es einiges an Vorbereitung und Konsequenz beim Umsetzen” (qu. 4c-4).

Consequently, as a first assessment of the initial situation, it seems that a basic requirement for preschool teachers to be able to teach English confidently is largely missing. It will have to be seen if preschool teachers’ existing communicative English language competence provides a sufficient basis to work from in the teacher education project. What can be learnt from the survey is that ample opportunities to develop participating preschool teachers’ communicative English language competence will have to be provided in the teacher education project as support.