Frist formation and the teaching career: social representations of english teachers

Abstract

This article wants to disseminate the research on the Initial Training of English language teachers and the implications of this training for their teaching careers. The investigation was theoretically and methodologically based on exploratory-qualitative research conducted under the aegis of Social Representations. The research universe comprised 12 high schools in the city of Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil, and the study population consisted of 29 female teachers. The findings reveal that more than half of the research subjects perceive their own training as misaligned with the work reality they experience and with little formative-educational effectiveness. Furthermore, significant omissions and concerning didactic-pedagogical and work-related deficiencies were identified, with gaps in educational-professional efficiency and lapses in formative-functional efficacy and conception. It is concluded that a more cohesive and coherent Initial Training is essential for English teachers—one that fully supports the teacher-learner in meeting future socio-professional demands. Thus, improvements in theoretical-practical professionalization, higher professional qualification, and high-quality education are required to ensure an Initial Training that is truly efficient, effective, and impactful.