ABSTRACT
The emergence of the English language can be traced back to the 1800s and the native English speakers who came to Chile primarily for new trading opportunities facilitated by the opening of the port of Valparaiso in 1811. In order to fully understand the complexities of of English-language teaching (ELT) and second-language teacher education (SLTE) in Chile it is first necessary to understand the Chilean educational system. Ormeno evaluated SLTE programmes in Chile as following a teacher-training model, rather than a developmental or reflexive approach. This means that teacher-education programmes aim at providing the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to teach English language learning (EFL). The escuelas normales gained high prestige in the country as a result of their success training teachers in the twentieth century. Teachers also evaluated as positive the focus on receptive skills, rather than on productive skills. Chilean SLTE programmes have increasingly acknowledged the relevance of school-based experiences in teachers' learning.
