Role Models in Language Teaching: A Case of Iraqi EFL University Lecturers

Abstract

This study tries to identify the importance of role models in language teaching. This study is a qualitative study, which used a semi-structured interview. The data were elicited from seven volunteered participants who are working as lecturers at different universities in Iraq. With data collected from those participants, the analysis investigated whether those lecturers think it is important to have an English language teaching role model, who are their role models, and what characteristics they valued most in their English language teaching role models. The findings of this study show that it is very important to have a role model in language teaching and learning. It also reveals that teachers have great effects to be selected as role models. Finally, it is found that the participants valued different characteristics in their model such as motivation, having different teaching styles, uniqueness, freshness, innovativeness, having academic style, positive interaction, being knowledgeable, having a high human sense, and devotion.