1. EFL Teacher Education in China and Moldova: A Comparative Study
Yamin Qian
Victorina Baxan
Qian & Baxan
11/24/2018

2. Contents Brief introduction: The authors Theoretical Framework
Research Questions
Context
Method
Data Analysis
Findings
Discussion
Further Discussion
Qian & Baxan
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3. Authors’ Background
Yamin Qian
Victorina Baxan
Qian & Baxan
11/24/2018

4. Theoretical Framework
From examining teaching as a set of discrete behaviors to studying teachers’ thinking and, later teachers’ cognition (Freeman & Johnson, 1998)
The context that student teachers are embedded in and the nature of interactivity within such a context (Bax,1997; Graves,2009; Norton,2006)
The impacts of institutional negotiation for legitimacy of a program on student teachers’ understanding of, and negotiation of being teachers (Ramanathan, Davis & Schleppegrell,2003)
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5. Research Questions
What are the similarities and differences between the two EFL teacher education programs from China and post-Soviet Moldova?
What are the implications for EFL teacher education in the two respective contexts?
What are the implications for effective teacher education in the Asian and Moldovan context?
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6. Context
P.R. China
Moldova
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7. The attributes that this comparative study looks at:
the syllabus,
the history of educational institutions,
staffing.
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8. Method: 1. Qualitative Study: 2. Document analysis Qian & Baxan
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9. Knowledge Base of Syllabus
Findings (I): China
Knowledge Base of Syllabus
67 percent (N=1812 hours) on language learning
12 percent (N=336) on language teaching
Six percent (N=162 ) on social context knowledge
Four percent (N=96）on cultures
Nine percent (N=256) on another foreign language learning
Two percent (N=54) on computer science
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10. Qian & Baxan
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11. 2) History of the School of Foreign Studies (China)
from School of Foreign studies to Russian teacher education to English teacher education faculty
faster development of Russian teacher education between to faster development of English teacher education afterwards
from School of Foreign studies to Russian teacher education faculty in 1949
from Russian teacher education to English teacher education faculty in 1950s
faster development of Russian teacher education between 1940s to 1950s
faster development of English teacher education afterwards
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11/24/2018

12. In total 53 faculty members, 19 faculty members have Ph.D degrees.
3) Staffing (China)
In total 53 faculty members, 19 faculty members have Ph.D degrees.
On its official website, only three doctoral supervisors are introduced in details.
Professors specialized in linguistics or applied linguistics are introduced in details.
No introduction on faculty members specialized in education.
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13. Findings (I): Moldova Knowledge Base of Syllabus
67 percent (N=3014 hours) on language learning (inlc. 2nd foreign language)
14 percent (N=619) on language teaching
5 percent (N=256 ) on social context
10 percent (N=438) on learning culture
4 percent (N=168) on other subjects, such as computer science, logic
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14. Qian & Baxan
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15. offers specializations in English, French, German and Spanish
2) History of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature (Moldova)
established in 1954
had several names throughout its history: Department of English Philology, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Department of English Language and Literature and it is known as the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literatures
consists of five subdivisions: Department of English Philology, Department of English Language, Department of French Philology, Department of French Language, and the Department of German Philology
offers specializations in English, French, German and Spanish
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16. 3) Staffing (Moldova)
a total of 63 faculty members, with 7 full professors
32 junior faculty members
official website does not provide details about staff education
No faculty members specializes in education – usually such faculty are cross-appointed form the Faculty of Pedagogy/Education
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17. Discussion (I): Similarities: Courses: Experience as learners
. Both programs have the majority of hours spent on language learning
Both programs have the majority of hours spent on language learning, focusing on different aspects of linguistics. Language teaching comes second: 14 percent in Moldovan program and 12 percent in Chinese program
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18. 2. Historical Aspects of Institutional Development
Similarities
2. Historical Aspects of Institutional Development
Both programs take EFL learning as a science rather than levels of socio-cultural discourses (Doman, 2005).
China had undergone the change from educating a large number of Russian teachers to English teachers. However, the ideology of teacher education remained under the influence of the former USSR for a long time. Moldova’s foreign language education has retained many features of the Soviet teacher training programs.
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19. Differences: Social Context
Courses in the Moldovan program focus more on social, economic and historical aspects of the country.
Although percentagewise the two programs have an almost equal number of courses , the program in China has distinct ideological courses (i.e. focusing on communist theories and policies), while courses in the Moldovan program focus more on social, economic and historical aspects of the country. This is an interesting finding since the Moldovan program that we analyzed was offered between , while the Chinese program is currently (2009) being offered.
Qian & Baxan
11/24/2018

20. 2. Cultural Knowledge
The Moldovan program has a higher proportion of culture-related courses
Chinese program: more diversified in regards to content of cultures.
The Moldova program focuses more on cultural knowledge.
The Moldovan program has a higher proportion of culture-related courses: 10 percent (N=438 hours), compared to four percent (N=96 hours) in the Chinese program.
Chinese program: more diversified in regards to content of cultures, ranging from brief introduction of English speaking countries, culture of European countries, to cross-cultural communication.
The Moldova program focuses more on the ecological aspect of cultural knowledge, although it also has introductory courses on cultures of the United Kingdom and the United States.
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21. Moldova: Five years; China: Four years
3) Length of the Program
Moldova: Five years; China: Four years
Moldova: more hours on learning the language.
The program in Moldova lasted for five years while the program in China is four years in length. Percentagewise both Chinese and Moldovan students spend 67% of their program on language learning. However, Moldovan students spend more hours learning the language: 3014 hours compared to 1780 hours spent by Chinese students.
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22. China: Higher percentage of staff members with PH.D
4) Staffing
China: Higher percentage of staff members with PH.D
Both the percentage is low compared to universities in North America.
The university in China: 35.84% (N=19) staff members have Ph.D. degree or professorship.
The university in Moldova: 8% (N=7) staff members have Ph.D. degree or professorship.
The percentage is low compared to universities in North America
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11/24/2018

23. Conclusions and Implications
More education-related courses, including teaching methods courses.
More courses on multiculturalism
More reflective practice
An effective teacher education program for preparing teachers of Foreign Languages in China and Moldova would require more education-related courses, including teaching methods courses.
EFL teachers trained in China and Moldova need to learn about multiculturalism as well. The culture courses that are included in the programs studied are not sufficient to prepare them to function in a multicultural society, such as Canada; they simply provide a cultural (and historical) perspective on English-speaking countries.
Reflective practice is another aspect of EFL teacher education that is missing in China and Moldova
Qian & Baxan
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24. Limitations of the study:
Interviews with students, teachers and administrators will undoubtedly develop a more comprehensive perspective on EFL teacher education programs in China and Moldova
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25. Thank You
Qian & Baxan
11/24/2018