Multilingual Capacity of Pre-Service Teachers: Implications for Future Classroom Practice

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the multilingual capacity of 12 preservice English teachers of a private Higher Education Institution (HEI). The study employed Cummins’ Iceberg Model of Language Interdependence (1978) as its framework. It utilized a mixed-method approach to describe participants’ language profiles, including languages spoken, proficiency levels, and primary motivations for learning multiple languages. To describe language proficiency the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Language Skill Level Framework (ILR, 2014) was used. Focus discussion group and interview techniques were used to solicit the primary reasons for learning multiple languages. All respondents speak Filipino and English in their interactions with peers and students in a multilingual classroom. A smaller percentage of the respondents speak in other regional and foreign languages. All preservice teachers demonstrated advanced proficiency in both Filipino and English. Participants noted that these languages were primarily used in school and peer conversations, contributing significantly to their high proficiency levels. Regional languages were used to express local identity and culture, while foreign language proficiency served as a foundation for teaching English abroad. It is recommended that teacher education programs be redesigned to better equip teachers for multilingual classrooms.