EFL Prospective Teachers’ English Language Proficiency Development: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to examine English language proficiency development among EFL prospective teachers during their four-year study at the faculty of education. A sample of sixty six college EFL prospective teachers took part in the study. The Examination for the Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English (ECPE) was first administered to participants in the academic year 2017 when they got enrolled as freshmen at the Faculty of Education, Kafr El-Sheikh University. Later on, participants took the same examination before their graduation in 2020. Data were statistically analyzed using Predictive Analytics Software (PASW) Statistics, version 18 to investigate the impact of English prospective teachers’ academic preparation on their language proficiency as well as the relationship between their English language scores on the General Secondary Certificate (G.S.C.) Exam and overall proficiency after a specialized study at university. Results indicated that EFL prospective teachers’ overall language proficiency level in English was improved. However, some proficiency components such as grammar and vocabulary were not developed. Moreover, there was no relationship between the scores they obtained on the G.S.C. Exam and their language proficiency level in English. Interpretation of results was provided and recommendations were suggested.