Defining the Good Language Teacher

Perspectives of English Pre-service Teachers in Hungary

Bibliographic Data

ID21883147
AuthorsKatalin Doró (0000-0001-8085-4839), Ágnes T Balla (0000-0003-3767-8803)
Year2026
Volume17
Issue2
Pages1-19
Publication date2026-01-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueActa Universitatis Sapientiae Philologica (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2067-5151 • E-ISSN: 2068-2956
PublisherUniversitatea Sapientia din municipiul Cluj-Napoca (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.47745/ausp-2025-0013
OpenAlexW7128810510
LanguageEN
References cited33

Several forms and definitions of a good language teacher exist in language pedagogy and foreign language teaching literature, ranging in scope, formulation, approach, and level of detail. Studying English teacher trainees’ ideas about what constitutes a good language teacher is important for learning about the beliefs and expectations that they bring to their study programmes and classrooms. This study examines Hungarian fifth- and sixth-year English pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the “good language teacher”. Students wrote short reflective essays on what makes an effective language teacher. The results indicate that pre-service teachers value a combination of positive personal traits, language competence, and pedagogical skills. They also emphasize creating supportive classroom environments, motivating students, addressing individual needs, and good lesson preparation. The findings can help teacher trainers understand how trainees’ language learning experiences influence their teaching philosophies and identify gaps in teacher preparation

Comprehension approach · English language · Foreign language · Form of the Good · Language assessment · Language education · Language pedagogy · Language teacher · Perception · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Second Language Learning and Teaching

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Open DOIOpen Access