Theoretical Perceptions of Language Teacher Education: Qualifications and Principles

The importance of teacher education and development lies in the fact that it prepares student teachers to become qualified to have the basic tools to become professional and effective in their classes.It is argued in the review of literature that effective teaching requires several proficiencies and abilities where teachers build on them via accumulative experience on their persistent pursuit for professionalism.Various types of knowledge are required in any teacher education program including knowledge about language, teaching methods, curriculum planning and evaluation, classroom management, and student assessment.Training teachers to conduct research is recommended, particularly for those teachers involved in teaching English for students in higher education institutions.The study reviews these elements in the literature review and in two broad dimensions: qualifications and principles.The latter is particularly concerned with principles recurring at the institutions or in the classroom.They have to do with teachers' actions, behaviour and attitude.This theoretical study sets a general framework for a language teacher program, and lists the wide-ranging knowledge areas which a language teacher should have.Though it does not advocate any specific teaching paradigm, it is to some extent competencies-oriented.