A Contextualized Needs Analysis of Rural Foreign Language Teachers in Southern Spain: Linguistic Competence as a Primary Professional Demand

This article analyses the professional needs of foreign language teachers in rural territories, with a primary analytical focus on teachers’ linguistic competence and how it is sustained over time. Using a mixed-methods needs analysis informed by Participatory Action Research, data were obtained from questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations in rural Andalusia (southern Spain). The results foreground persistent challenges in maintaining a high level of command of the target language—especially oral fluency and pronunciation—within linguistically isolated professional environments. Methodological and technological issues are reported as contextual conditions that shape (and sometimes constrain) teachers’ opportunities to develop and enact linguistic competence, including multi-grade and multicultural classrooms, limited time for peer collaboration, and uneven student access to devices and connectivity at home. Overall, the findings point to the need for localized, flexible, and participatory professional development that prioritizes teachers’ ongoing linguistic development while addressing contextual barriers in rural schools.