TEACHING PRACTICES OF ENGLISH TEACHERS IN COLOMBIA: APPROACHES, STRATEGIES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM

Abstract

This scientific essay aimed to analyze the didactic practices of English teachers in Colombia through a critical review of studies addressing elements such as contemporary approaches, educational policies, and recent discourses on foreign language teaching. Although national educational regulations and guidelines promote the communicative approach as a means to develop students’ comprehensive linguistic competencies, the results of external assessments and empirical evidence from various studies reveal the persistence of practices focused on content transmission, grammatical memorization, and the assessment of isolated linguistic structures. These tendencies limit students’ contextual appropriation of the language and hinder the consolidation of the skills required by contemporary society. In this regard, there is a clear inconsistency between pedagogical discourse and didactic practices, as the implementation of public policies is constrained by inadequate institutional conditions, limited resources, and insufficient didactic knowledge among teachers. As a result of the analysis, several didactic innovations have been identified—such as the flipped classroom, task-based learning, situated learning, and the pedagogical use of digital technologies—which show strong potential to guide a contextualized approach to English language teaching. These innovations foster didactic practices grounded in meaningful communicative scenarios, promoting effective social interaction and significant learning among students. Therefore, it is proposed that these innovations be further examined and, through a process of critical contextualization, be considered suitable for curricular reorganization and for strengthening teachers’ didactic competencies.