An Empirical Research: The Use of International English Testing System as a Tool to Assess the English Language Teachers’ Language Proficiency

Abstract

This empirical research uses IELTS as the benchmark to assess ESL teachers’ language proficiency and check its effect on the language learning of ESL students in Pakistan. In order to collect the data for this study, 60 ESL students at an intermediate level were selected from the eight different language centers in Lahore, Pakistan. Later, they were taught by the teachers who have different scores in their language proficiency tests i.e., IELTS (band 8, band 7 and band 5 respectively). The results of this empirical research reveal that ESL teachers’ language proficiency affects the language learning of ESL students to a great deal. One of the main reasons is the lack of proficient ESL teachers that corresponds to the improper and faulty criteria of their recruitment. Therefore, the current study posits that the selection of ESL teachers must also be determined with the levels of their proficiency in English.