91 research outputs found
Exploratory Practice in the FL Teaching Methods Course: A Case Study of Three Graduate Student Instructorsâ Experiences
The foreign language (FL) teaching âmethodsâ courseâwhich serves an increasingly diverse population of graduate students with varied teaching and learning experiences, professional goals, and developmental trajectories (Allen & Negueruela-Azarola, 2010)â is often the only dedicated space for graduate student instructors (GSIs) to develop integrated theoretical and practical knowledge about collegiate language learning and teaching (Bourns & Melin, 2014). This article describes how the reflective teaching framework of exploratory practice (EP) (Allwright 2003, 2005) was used in a combined German/Spanish FL teaching methods course at a large state university in the U.S. in order to foster ongoing reflective teaching practice and provide learning opportunities for GSIs with different experiences and training. Through qualitative analysis of three learning teachersâ written reflections, the study shows how graduate students worked with EP to understand their own classrooms and teaching programs in personally-meaningful and developmentally-appropriate ways. Analysis of the GSIsâ reported learning outcomes and their ability to follow EPâs seven guiding principles in their journals reveals key differences between the novice and more experienced GSIs, suggesting it may take time for those new to teaching to understand and fully integrate the principles into their reflective practice. Implications for methods coursework are discussed
Making connections in beginning language inctruction through structured reflection and the world-readiness standards for learning languages
Twenty-six beginning L2 learners provided structured reflections over the course
of a first-semester collegiate German class. The present analysis investigates connections
made by these students between their learning of German and their
experiences beyond the course. Drawing on the World-Readiness Standards for
Learning Languages (WRSLL) to inform the nature of connection-making reported
in the studentsâ journals, the study shows that learners described personally
meaningful connections that align well to the Communities and Connections
goal areasâcomponents of the WRSLL that have received relatively little attention
in research and professional dialogues. Additionally, students showed a
deepened understanding of themselves in relationship to the course content. The
article concludes with a discussion concerning the role of reflection in supporting
Standards-based pedagogies
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Exploratory Practice in the FL Teaching Methods Course: A Case Study of Three Graduate Student Instructorsâ Experiences
The foreign language (FL) teaching âmethodsâ courseâwhich serves an increasingly diverse population of graduate students with varied teaching and learning experiences, professional goals, and developmental trajectories (Allen & Negueruela-Azarola, 2010)â is often the only dedicated space for graduate student instructors (GSIs) to develop integrated theoretical and practical knowledge about collegiate language learning and teaching (Bourns & Melin, 2014). This article describes how the reflective teaching framework of exploratory practice (EP) (Allwright 2003, 2005) was used in a combined German/Spanish FL teaching methods course at a large state university in the U.S. in order to foster ongoing reflective teaching practice and provide learning opportunities for GSIs with different experiences and training. Through qualitative analysis of three learning teachersâ written reflections, the study shows how graduate students worked with EP to understand their own classrooms and teaching programs in personally-meaningful and developmentally-appropriate ways. Analysis of the GSIsâ reported learning outcomes and their ability to follow EPâs seven guiding principles in their journals reveals key differences between the novice and more experienced GSIs, suggesting it may take time for those new to teaching to understand and fully integrate the principles into their reflective practice. Implications for methods coursework are discussed
"What makes this so complicated?" On the value of disorienting dilemmas in language instruction
This contribution considers how challenging moments arising in social pedagogies
can serve as powerful learning opportunities for learners and teachers.
Drawing on transformative learning theory (Johnson, 2015; Mezirow,
1994, 1997), which sees âdisorienting dilemmasâ as catalysts for reflection
and changes in viewpoint, the study chronicles the experiences of four participants
(coordinator, pedagogical designer, teacher, and student) involved in a
âReacting to the Pastâ game (Carnes, 2014) on GermanâComanche relationships
in 1847 Texas, a game that was planned forâbut ultimately not carried
out inâa collegiate intermediate German course. Although the game was successfully
played in previous semesters, in fall 2015, a formal complaint was
issued shortly before it was to be performed in class. The game was cancelled;
in its place teachers discussed the content material with students and problematized
the activity itself. This chapter describes how the four participant
groups responded to this crisis moment and discussed the multifaceted, interconnected
learning opportunities that âdisorienting dilemmasâ in social pedagogies
can result in
Fostering advanced-level language abilities in foreign language graduate programs: Applications of genre theory
Findings from two surveys (Spring 2002) regarding the perceived needs of graduate students from US. Foreign language (FL) doctoral programs in fostering advanced second language (L2) development are discussed. Participants include thirteen FL graduate students, nine FL program coordinators, and one FL department chair. Analysis of the surveys reveals (1) the central role lower-level language teaching plays in FL graduate students' L2 development; (2) the need among graduate students to understand L2 ability in terms of contextualized language use; and (3) graduate students' desire for greater departmental support of their L2 abilities. The paper argues for the construct of genre as a means for conceptualizing and promoting advanced-level language development. Genres graduate students will likely encounter as future members of the profession are presented. Two case studies of graduate students' experiences with the genre précis further illustrate how a genre approach can foster L2 academic abilities. General recommendations for FL graduate programs are offered
1,5-Anhydro-d-glucitol 6-phosphate and its use for the specific inhibition of the hexokinase reaction in tissue homogenates
Beyond the methods course: Using exploratory practice for graduate student teacher development
A qualitative analysis of graduate student teachersâ shared experiences in a teacher
support group is presented. The analysis focuses on how the reflective teaching
framework of exploratory practice can benefit more experienced graduate student
teachers and provide a potential interdisciplinary model for professional development
beyond the first-year teaching methods course in collegiate foreign language
programs. Drawing on individual written reflections and transcripts from
four collaborative group meetings over a two-month period, the authors show
how a teacher support group made up of graduate students and language program
coordinators enabled three experienced graduate student teachers to develop
personally meaningful insights on their classrooms and learners. Findings from
the study point to opportunities afforded for the graduate student teachers in understanding
three interrelated areas of their teaching: (1) that reflection about
teaching
must involve learners, (2) that teaching is an inherently complex and
dynamic process, and (3) that teaching communities promote deep understanding
of classroom teaching
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