Global Paradigm Shift in Pedagogy and English Language Teachers’ Professional Development in Pakistan

Education system like other areas of modern society has undergone a phenomenal paradigm shift from learning to e learning and teacher to e teacher. The shift embodies substantial departure from objectivist teacher centered instructional methodology to collaborative, interactive, customized, metacognitive and constructivist pedagogical approaches. The paradigm also signifies increased use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in teaching/ learning practices and higher education (Nawaz 2011). Importantly ICTs are now considered essential to knowledge construction and as facilitators of learner centered pedagogy. They have also become integral to teacher-learner partnership in learning, virtual learning creative/critical thinking, higher order skills and customized planning for learning styles. The EFL teachers in Pakistan in this context needs to be made cognizant of this paradigm shift and developed accordingly. They need to be trained in emerging techniques so that they can better innovate in their personalities, teaching methods and their teaching objectives and producing citizens who possesses global adoptability and can communicate across the planet. The study particularly highlights importance of diverse learning styles and use of ICTS in language teaching and learning for meaningful realization of this paradigm shift in our context. The conclusion is drawn that these characteristics need to be incorporated into content areas of education and teachers training templates for sustainable and meaningful changes in the education and training out comes.