The Accreditation of English Language Teacher Education Programs in the Arab Region: The Case of Sultan Qaboos University

Abstract

The chapter presents the case of the teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) program at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) as an exemplary program that has been successful to gain recognition from the US. The chapter begins with describing the actions taken by the program that led to the success in obtaining the recognition from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). To give a full picture of the process, the SQU program was described, elaborating the six key assessments developed to provide evidence that its candidates were meeting the ACTFL standards. It has been stressed that the process of accreditation has led to creating a climate for accreditation with the need to focus on evidence and assessment across all areas of the college and programs. The chapter also points out to the cognitive and organizational restructuring that happened at all the levels. The chapter closes with challenges that faced the program in gaining recognition from ACTFL.