Deconstructing the Discourse of Proficiency: Social Class and Preservice English Language Teachers

Abstract

The discourse of proficiency in English-language teacher education has been shaped by corporate demands for an ideal speaker. This discourse forces future English language teachers to meet rigid expectations that overlook their sociocultural traits, such as race, social class, and geographical location. This narrative case study draws on narrative frameworks and interviews to analyze how the social class of four English-language preservice teachers at a Colombian public university shapes their experiences of language proficiency. Findings suggest that participants experienced proficiency differently depending on their social class, cultural dispositions, and individual differences. Their stories deconstruct the taken-for-granted concept of proficiency and unveil broader sociocultural and political implications for English-language teacher education.