Coping with barriers towards good CEFR level in academic English

Abstract

This paper explores learning barriers faced by technology lecturers to reach TOEFL ITP/TOEFL iBT/IELTS score equivalent to CEFR level B2 as minimum standard of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) skills generally expected from an internationally qualified lecturer. The study whose respondents were 48 technology lecturers in an IT institute chosen on purpose collected in four months was conducted by quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative data includes quantifying the lecturers’ perspectives gathered by a closed-ended questionnaire into Likert Scale’s composite scores. The qualitative data were results of open-ended questionnaires. The main finding is lecturers with TOEFL ITP/TOEFL iBT/IELTS score equivalent to below level B2 of CEFR have considered ineffective learning experience as a result of ill-delivered learning methods as their main hindering. The results have implicated to a new learning model suggestion, Tech-Enhanced 4 Gogy Mixed Models focusing on Andragogy approaches to boost the lecturers’ learning autonomy.