This paper presents the initial language teacher education policy adopted in Turkey and describes a study that examines English Language Teaching (ELT) student teachers` perceptions on the main components of initial teacher education and their contribution to the student-teachers’ future profession. To achieve these, the present study adopts the four dimensions of the European Profile for Language Teacher Education—A Frame of Reference (Kelly, Grenfell, Allan, Kriza, & McEvoy, 2004), which identifies the 40-item essential elements in foreign language teacher education. The sample includes 123 student-teachers in their second, third, and fourth year of studies for a bachelor’s degree in the Department of English Language Teacher Education at the Inonu University of Malatya in Turkey. Findings regarding the student-teachers’ perceptions on the main components and features of the ELT curriculum in all its dimensions (i.e., structure, knowledge and understanding, strategies and skills, and values) reveal that the students-teachers believe in the importance of practicum, collaboration with other universities and research institutes, and knowledge about the target culture. They, however, have some doubts regarding the necessity for using the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) (Newby, Allan, Fenner, Jones, Komorowska, & Soghikyan, 2007) and for being subjected to peer evaluation during their preservice education.
Keywords: ELT programme, European Profile for Language Teacher Education-A Frame of Reference, initial teacher education (ITE), student-teachersAltan, M.Z. (2006). Preparation of foreign language teachers in Turkey: A challenge for the 21st century. Dil Dergisi, 134, 49-54.
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