Knowledge and skills used by nicaraguan english teachers in the efl classroom

This qualitative phenomenological study investigated the types of knowledge and skills that 10 Nicaraguan English teachers applied in the EFL classroom. Data were gathered using one-shot semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed English teachers’ knowledge and skills were contextualized and changed over time due to students, the teaching milieu, the curriculum, learning goals, and so forth. The results showed that 100% of participants agreed that English teachers should possess native or native-like English proficiency, content knowledge, knowledge of learners, assessment knowledge, teaching skills, communication skills, lesson planning skills, material development skills, knowledge to evaluate learning materials, and academic writing skills. Another interesting finding was that 50% of participants, non-native English speakers, believed that a powerful tool that allowed them to be better teachers was their own experience as language learners. This research suggests that pre-service teachers and novice teachers have to learn to learn and get used to adapting and transforming their knowledge based on where they get to teach, what they get to teach, and to whom they get to teach. Also, universities should offer professional development opportunities for in-service teachers taking into account findings of current research to further develop their knowledge to provide high-quality teaching and learning processes.