A Sociocultural Perspective on EFL In-Service Teachers’ SFL/Genre Knowledge Development

Abstract

SFL/genre knowledge is considered as an effective tool for teacher candidates or pre-service teachers to prepare to give instruction in their teaching activities. It can also be used as conceptual tools for teacher candidates or pre-service teachers to develop their linguistic knowledge. This study investigated on how EFL in-service teachers develop their SFL/ genre knowledge as a tool for their English language usage, as in how they employ SFL/genre knowledge to deliver instructions and information in their language teaching. This case study involved EFL in-service teachers who were a part of an SFL/ genre based interventional program held by one of the universities in Indonesia. Questionnaire, observations, and teachers' document from the SFL/genre based interventional program were collected and analysed. The result of the analyses of this study showed that SFL/genre-based approach has the potential to be further developed and implemented in teacher education and teaching practices. However, there are still some difficulties faced by the teachers that never had an SFL/genre-based teaching training before. The learning of SFL/genre-based approach by EFL in-service teacher reveals how they may come to acquire and actualize the aspects of language development indicated by a sociocultural perspective on language teacher development.