ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

This article will attempt to offer a brief description of the education of English language teachers in Malaysia. The description has been based on content analysis of documents and interviews with teacher trainers, both in teacher training colleges and the universities, as well as Ministry officials in the Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Education. Interviews were carried out with principals, senior language lecturers and six lecturers of two teacher colleges; with the Language Curriculum Officers in the Teacher Education Division of the Ministry of Education; and with 17 teacher educators in two local universities.

The purpose of this article is to review teacher education in Malaysia so that teachers and teacher- trainees will have some idea of teacher education outside their own experiences. It aims to answer the following broad questions:

1. What teacher training facilities exist for the training of English language teachers?

2. What constraints are there on the training of English language teachers in Teacher Training

   Colleges?

3. What suggestions could be offered for the improvement of English language teacher education

   in Malaysia?