Exploratory Practice in the FL Teaching Methods Course: A Case Study of Three Graduate Student Instructors’ Experiences

The foreign language (FL) teaching “methods” course—which serves an increasingly diverse population of graduate students with varied teaching and learning experiences, professional goals, and developmental trajectories (Allen & Negueruela-Azarola, 2010)— 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 teachers’ 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 GSIs’ reported learning outcomes and their ability to follow EP’s 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 students’ journals, the study shows that learners described personally meaningful connections that align well to the Communities and Connections goal areas—components 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

Exploratory Practice in the FL Teaching Methods Course: A Case Study of Three Graduate Student Instructors’ Experiences

The foreign language (FL) teaching “methods” course—which serves an increasingly diverse population of graduate students with varied teaching and learning experiences, professional goals, and developmental trajectories (Allen & Negueruela-Azarola, 2010)— 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 teachers’ 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 GSIs’ reported learning outcomes and their ability to follow EP’s 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 “disorienting dilemmas” 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 “Reacting to the Past” game (Carnes, 2014) on German–Comanche relationships in 1847 Texas, a game that was planned for—but ultimately not carried out in—a 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 “disorienting dilemmas” 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

Beyond the methods course: Using exploratory practice for graduate student teacher development

A qualitative analysis of graduate student teachers’ 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