Assessment of Primary Teachers’ Self-perceived Communicative Competence in English as a Medium of Instruction in Nyamasheke District, Rwanda

Teachers’ communicative competence in English as a medium of instruction is crucial for effective teaching and learning and for the overall positive relationship between students and teachers in the classroom. This article aimed to assess primary teachers’ self-perceived communicative competence in English as a medium of instruction in two primary schools in Nyamasheke District, Rwanda. This article adopted a descriptive research design guided by Cummins’ (1979) Dimensions of Language Proficiency. It used quantitative data collected by a questionnaire. Teachers rated their perceived English language proficiency focusing on the four English language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing. The results showed that teachers’ overall communicative competence was low in terms of conversational fluency and academic language skills, which teachers need for successful teaching. This study highlights the need for appropriate training, support and guidelines for the use of English in the teaching of school subjects. This research recommended that training resources should include reading materials, films for listening and interpreting content, and essay writing to develop all the four English language skills. In addition, the benefits of English language training for teachers should be maximized, and language learning outcomes should be monitored and tested for future teacher assessment in order to encourage and motivate teachers to learn and improve their English language skills.