Beyond Classroom Language: Language Teacher’s Communicative Tasks Outside the Classroom in Russia, China, Indonesia, the US and the UK

Introduction. Demands for transparency and accountability in teacher education necessitate empirically-based language programs and assessments. Existing teacher assessments often fail to reflect the specific language use needs of English language teachers (ELTs) outside of classroom language, an increasingly crucial area due to English-medium instruction. Empirical evidence is needed to design more effective language training programmes for ELTs. Aim. This study aims to identify and categorize the communicative tasks ELTs encounter outside the classroom across diverse international contexts. Research Methods. A survey was administered to 1288 ELTs in Russia, China, Indonesia, the UK, and the USA, utilizing convenience and purposive sampling. The questionnaire explored teachers' professional backgrounds, outside-classroom professional tasks performed in English, and opinions on essential training components for pre-service teachers. Results. High engagement was found in reading books/research on language teaching (95% in Russia, 93% in China/ UK, 84% in Indonesia, 78% in US) and assessing students’ written work (95% in China, 97% in Indonesia, 95% in UK, 93% in US, 82% in Russia). Developing tasks/tests was prevalent in the UK (95%) and US (98%), while advising students/ providing feedback exceeded 90% in Indonesia, China, UK, and US, reaching 74% in Russia. Reflection on teaching methods was rated by 91% in China, 80% in the US, and 72% in Indonesia. Email communication varied, with 89% in China, 88% in US, and 84% in UK compared to 69% in Indonesia and 68% in Russia. Notably, assessing writing was chosen by 75% of respondents as a key skill for future teachers, indicating a perceived need for specific training. KEYWORDS Implications. The study identifies key areas, including supporting learning, professional development, developing materials and administrative tasks, for targeted teacher training, informing curriculum development and promoting more effective, natural language use in ELTs' professional lives beyond the classroom.