Dr Priscila Riffo-Salgado

Profile

As an ELT professional with over a decade of experience encompassing teaching English to secondary school students and training future ELT professionals, my expertise spans both educational levels. In the realm of teacher education, my primary focus lies in language teaching methodologies and research methods. Additionally, I have substantial experience teaching academic English to international undergraduate and postgraduate students in higher education contexts. My research centers on preservice teachers' professional identity formation, exploring challenges within school-based practice and the intersection with national and international language teaching policies. I'm equally dedicated to advancing mentoring, supervision, and promoting inclusion within English language teacher education.

Responsibilities

• Academic personal tutor
• MA thesis supervisor

Research interests

My research interest sits within language teacher education and research. In my PhD research, I delved into the intricate process of professional identity development among a group of preservice teachers enrolled in an English Language Teaching program in Chile, particularly focusing on their final-stage practicum. Employing a sociocultural approach that frames the "good language teacher" (GLT) as the crux of PSTs' professional identity, the study uncovers the challenges faced by PSTs during this crucial period. It illuminates how the PSTs negotiate their professional identity, influenced by personal experiences and beliefs, within a specific social context. This research unravels how PSTs construct their understanding of the GLT throughout the practicum, offering insights for enhancing teaching practice, given the inherent connection between teacher identity and practice. 

Drawing from diverse data sources, including semi-structured interviews, lesson observations, stimulated recall interviews, and focus groups, this case study reveals that despite valuing the practicum, PSTs faced limited opportunities to hone their teaching skills. A notable factor contributing to this limitation was the disparity between the university's emphasis on communicative teaching methods and the traditional, passive language skills-focused practices prevalent in schools. Furthermore, the study underscores how PSTs' perceptions of students influence the teaching of English in a more inclusive way.

Qualifications

• PhD in Education (University of Southampton, UK)
• MA in ELT and Applied Linguistics (King's College London)
• Teacher of English as a foreign language (Universidad Catolica de Temuco, Chile)

Professional memberships

• RICELT committee member
• IATEFL member

Student education

I teach undergraduate and postgraduate modules related to language teacher education and methodology.