Teaching English in a Mexican rural and an urban primary schools: General classroom teachers as an alternative to become language access facilitators in marginal and indigenous contexts

Abstract

English language teaching (ELT) as a second or foreign language is a worldwide practice for Educational Systems in elementary schools. Educational reforms in Mexico have aimed at addressing English language learning within the elementary schools’ curricula, however, there have been shortcomings when implementing the teaching of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in all Mexican classrooms. This study was done to explore the possibility of general classroom teachers becoming EFL facilitators. The participants were 15 general classroom teachers with no specialization in ELT, from either a rural school in a Bilingual indigenous community or an urban school in the Mexican State of San Luis Potosí. A mixed-method research approach was employed, which included a socioeconomic questionnaire, an attitude towards English questionnaire and an ad hoc questionnaire; to explore the implementation of EFL in the participating schools. Results suggest that general classroom teachers without specialization in ELT may be a potential positive alternative to implementing ELT by becoming second language facilitators. The findings are discussed in relation to the concept of second language facilitators and recommendations for future studies to further explore this teaching role are laid out.

Keywords

• english as a foreign language teaching
• language access facilitators
• general classroom teachers
• marginal schools