When Formal Education Is Not Enough. The Self-Improvement Needs of LSP Teachers

Abstract

Learning in vocational education is mandated to implement the learning outcomes of Vocationally Oriented Foreign Language (VOFL). Unfortunately, formal education does not prepare foreign language teachers for work in vocational training institutions. This article addresses the problem of the needs of foreign language teachers working in vocational education in the Lublin region. A questionnaire survey is the basis for the diagnosis of the needs of these teachers. The latter are discussed in relation to the teaching of VOFL in terms of the forms and content of teachers’ in-service training and their readiness for self-improvement within the framework of informal education. The results of the survey show that the forms of training within the framework of formal, as well as informal, education are not satisfactory for the development of the professional competence of language teachers.