Professional Development for ESL Educators During Covid-19 Pandemic Era at Sabah’s Tertiary Institutions, Malaysia

Abstract

Technology has played a significant role in Malaysian education sector including tertiary institutions during Covid-19 Pandemic. All educators including those who teach English as Second Language (ESL) are able to continue classes during this difficult time through various online platforms such as Google Meet, MS Teams, Zoom and others. This phenomenon undoubtedly demands skills which would enable language educators to effectively incorporate the use of technology and the inculcation of 21 st Century skills in their classrooms. In order to support these educators to embrace these different skills, additional training such as professional development programmes is needed. This literature review will canvass the challenges and opportunities of English Language Teaching in terms of preparation experiences of ESL educators for teaching and learning in 21 st Century as well as the benefits and challenges of conducting professional development programmes at Sabah's tertiary institutions, Malaysia. This literature review is carried out through an analysis of secondary data in the form of related and appropriate previous studies conducted by researchers in the English as Second Language (ESL). The findings found that the ESL educators seem to move towards the 21 st Century, yet additional training through professional development programs are needed to help them embrace the challenges of 21 st Century education at tertiary institutions. This review may help to strengthen ESL educators' teaching skills which indirectly upgrade their quality level while at the same time help them to embrace the 21 st Century during the Pandemic era.