EFL Trainee Teachers' Self-Perceived Competencies

The aim of this study is to investigate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) trainee teacher's self-perceived competencies, and to determine whether there are differences in terms of gender, class, educational background, and preparatory for programme they study at. The data were collected via a questionnaire developed based on standards set by American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) from 331 ELT students from all four classes in three state universities in Turkey. Based on the findings, participants' have high levels of self-perceptions in terms of all six content standards. Female participants are found to have higher level of self-perceptions than male participants. Considering grades which participants study at, all participants have ranked high, sophomore students having the lowest in all six content areas, freshmen and juniors in one area each, and seniors ranking the highest regarding four content standards. Slight differences were found between participants who have taken preparatory class and who have not; the ones who have taken had higher level of self-perceptions regarding four content standards while the ones who have not taken preparatory had higher self-perceptions in terms of two content standards. Weak correlation was found between participants' ASPC scores and self-perceptions similar to correlation between their educational background and self-perceptions. Participants who have been to an English speaking country before have higher self-perceptions in terms of four content standards whereas the participants who have not been to an English speaking country have higher self-perceptions in two content standards. Key words: Teacher competencies, EFL, Self- perceived competencies