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An Empirical Study of Business English Teachers’ Knowledge Structures in Different Course Modules

  • Ling Hu

    Ling HU is an associate professor of English (applied linguistics) at Hunan University. Her research efforts have focused on business English education, teacher education.

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    , Sha Xie

    Sha XIE is a postgraduate student at Hunan University, focusing her research on applied linguistics.

    and Yun Liu

    Yun LIU was a postgraduate student at Hunan University. She is currently a teacher at Xuri School in Guangdong Province. She focuses her research on teacher development.

Published/Copyright: August 16, 2019
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Abstract

The establishment of Business English (abbreviated as BE hereafter) as an independent discipline for undergraduate education appeals to the higher professionalism of BE teachers’ knowledge structure. This paper introduces the results of a study that, by in-depth semi-structured interviews, investigated the knowledge structure of 18 teachers across three different BE course modules. Data are analyzed based on grounded theory. Eleven knowledge types required of a qualified BE teacher across three different structures (i.e., three BE course modules) are identified. The construction of BE teachers’ knowledge structures differs in the three BE course modules. The findings are a meaningful supplement to the theoretical analysis of the “should-be” description of BE teachers’ knowledge structure and can improve the understanding of the constituents of BE teachers’ knowledge structures at a micro-level, which should, in turn, provide references for different module teachers’ development.

About the authors

Ling Hu

Ling HU is an associate professor of English (applied linguistics) at Hunan University. Her research efforts have focused on business English education, teacher education.

Sha Xie

Sha XIE is a postgraduate student at Hunan University, focusing her research on applied linguistics.

Yun Liu

Yun LIU was a postgraduate student at Hunan University. She is currently a teacher at Xuri School in Guangdong Province. She focuses her research on teacher development.

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Published Online: 2019-08-16
Published in Print: 2019-06-26

© 2019 FLTRP, Walter de Gruyter, Cultural and Education Section British Embassy

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