Shall they teach English as efficient as English teachers? Primary school teacher candidates’ perspectives towards teaching English in the absence of an English teacher

In today\\\'s education system, regardless of the distinction between public and private schools, teaching English as a foreign language begins in the 2nd grade. In public schools, English teachers conduct English classes; in schools where there are no English teachers, they are conducted by primary school teachers. In private schools, English classes are conducted by English teachers. In this context, a course titled \\\"Teaching Foreign Languages in Primary Schools\\\" has been included in the 4th-year classes of the primary school education programs within the faculties of education at universities to enhance the knowledge and skills of prospective primary school teachers in teaching English. The current study examines the perspectives of prospective classroom teachers studying in the primary education undergraduate program at a public university in Türkiye towards English language teaching. The study collected qualitative data using a written, structured interview technique. The data shows that prospective primary school teachers do not find themselves sufficient in language proficiency for teaching English as a foreign language, believe that a course they took in their undergraduate program was insufficient for teaching English, and think that English teachers should conduct the English course. In the study, educational implications and recommendations were made based on the results obtained from the data.