ABSTRACT
Teacher knowledge is deeply embedded in the sociocultural, political, and ideological contexts. The reconceptualization of teacher knowledge base within rapidly changing global societies emphasizes the profound influences of these context-specific factors. This is especially relevant in superdiverse Indonesia, where multilingualism, urbanization, and cultural diversity shape language education. Language ideology, encompassing the values and attributes attached to language, significantly influences language planning and policy and, in turn, the teacher knowledge base. Strengthening Indonesian teachers’ knowledge base and pedagogical competence while addressing pervasive hegemonic ideologies of English language is indeed crucial. This chapter calls for a critical reconceptualization and reformulation of English teacher knowledge base and competence to move towards the English as a lingua franca (ELF) framework which requires well-trained multilingual English teachers who serve as the excellent role models for students. One of the keys to successful ELF pedagogy necessitates English teachers who possess excellent mastery of the subject matter, have high commitment and positive attitudes, and are reflective and lifelong learners themselves. Moving towards ELF pedagogy therefore demands concerted efforts in the right direction to put policy, standards, and support in place to enhance the Indonesian English teachers’ knowledge base, competence, and sustainable professional development.
