EFL University Instructors’ Conceptions of Speaking and Writing Competence: Insights from Egyptian Higher Education

Abstract

The present study investigates Egyptian EFL university instructors’ conceptions regarding speaking and writing competence, emphasizing how their personal learning experiences, institutional policies, students' misconceptions and classroom challenges influence their teaching practices. Using a qualitative case study design, ten instructors from private universities participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews, with three participants (two experts and one novice) were chosen as exemplars for detailed analysis. Data were analyzed using ethnographic semantics involving open coding, axial coding, and thematic analysis to identify key themes, including learning histories, institutional constraints, technology use, tensions between speaking and writing, and distinctions between expert and novice instructors. Findings revealed that instructors’ personal language learning experiences strongly affect their pedagogical practices, with expert teachers demonstrating theorized, reflective practices and novices relying more on exposure-based strategies. Institutional assessment tended to privilege writing over speaking, hindering communicative teaching approaches. Institutional assessment practices tended to privilege writing over speaking, constraining communicative teaching approaches. Technology emerged as both a facilitator and a challenge, with purposeful integration proving most effective. Future research should incorporate classroom observations, public university instructors and student perspectives to capture a holistic view of teaching-learning dynamics.