Review of doctoral research in language education in Germany (2014–2018)

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-357
Author(s):  
Lena Heine ◽  
Nicole Marx ◽  
Birgit Schädlich ◽  
Eva Wilden
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Doctoral Dissertations ◽  
Purposive Sample

AbstractThis article reviews a purposive sample of 16 doctoral dissertations in second language (L2) education, completed between 2014 and 2018 and published in German, in Germany. Among the 103 relevant dissertations found from this period, a total of 12 thematic strands were identified, of which five were chosen as being particularly common and thus warranting a more in-depth review: (1) learning and teaching about culture in the language classroom, (2) literary texts in L2 education, (3) bilingual models of learning and teaching, (4) plurilingual teaching and learning, and (5) language teacher education and teacher training. We identify relevant topics and relate these to trends in research methodology (qualitative/quantitative/mixed-methods). We also discuss the depth and breadth of these dissertations and situate their scholarly contributions within German and international research on language education.

Review of doctoral research in language education in Germany (2009–2013)

2016 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Doff ◽  
Frank G. Königs ◽  
Nicole Marx ◽  
Birgit Schädlich
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
International Research ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Doctoral Dissertations ◽  
Purposive Sample ◽  
Selection Of

This paper reviews a purposive sample of 23 doctoral dissertations in second language (L2) education, completed between 2009 and 2013 and published in Germany. From amongst all (approx. 70) relevant dissertations from this period, the following three broad thematic strands can be identified, for which a selection of exemplary dissertations was chosen to review: (1) Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL); (2) learning and teaching about culture in the language classroom; and (3) language teacher education. Categorization of themes was guided by a bottom-up approach, clustering thematically (rather than methodologically) similar works. We identify relevant topics and link these with trends in research methodology (qualitative/quantitative/mixed-methods). We also discuss the depth and breadth of these dissertations and situate their scholarly contributions within German and international research on language education.

scholarly journals The Connotations of Language Teacher Autonomy

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 134
Author(s):  
Ligang Han
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Foreign Language Education ◽  
Teacher Autonomy ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Education Teacher ◽  
Working Definition

With the research on the development of learner autonomy in foreign language education, teacher autonomy has become a hot topic in the research of foreign language teacher education. However, it is the most difficult question to define language teacher autonomy and any answer to it is likely to be subjective. On the basis of expounding upon the different definitions concerning the research on teacher autonomy in language teaching and learning, the focus of the present paper is to clarify the connotations of language teacher autonomy and a working definition is made.

scholarly journals Practices of an English language classroom from a postmethod perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. e51966
Author(s):  
Fernanda Caiado da Costa Ferreira ◽  
Laryssa Paulino de Queiroz Sousa ◽  
Neuda Alves do Lago ◽  
Francisco José Quaresma de Figueiredo
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
English Language ◽  
Applied Linguistics ◽  
Literary Texts ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Classroom ◽  
Empirical Material

What is language? What is the best approach to teach a language? These questions have guided numerous studies in the field of applied linguistics (Donato, 1994; Ellis, 1985; Figueiredo, 2018; Hall, 2003; Pennycook, 1989). However, by considering that the difficulties and necessities of the language learning process are always influenced by its context, we perceive the temporary answers offered as localized possibilities. Thus, this qualitative study has no intention of providing universal and totalizing answers to these inquiries. Nonetheless, the practices of an English language classroom are investigated in this research to provide empirical material for the discussion of these matters. The classes observed were grounded on premises of critical applied linguistics and critical language teacher education. In the interactions analyzed, the seven students who participated in the study problematized essays and literary texts written by subaltern bodies, such as Wong’s (1980) and hooks’s (1994), who represent marginalized US groups. The specific objectives of this research are: a) to observe and discuss the elements that stand out during the learners’ interactions; and b) to investigate the students’ perceptions of this experience. The study shows that, more than following a method, adopting an approach that focuses on interactions as a means of promoting both linguistic improvement and questioning of naturalized assumptions is an effective way to learn and teach a foreign/second language. Furthermore, the practices discussed are in accordance with the ideas expressed by Kumaravadivelu (1994, 2001, 2003a, 2003b, 2005, 2006, 2012), for whom the postmethod perspective, connected with critical perspectives, seeks to equip student teachers with knowledge, attitudes and autonomy necessary to adopt a reflective posture towards their practices.

Research in language teaching and learning in Austria (2011–2017)

2019 ◽  
Vol 52 (02) ◽  
pp. 201-230
Author(s):  
Christiane Dalton-Puffer ◽  
Klaus-Börge Boeckmann ◽  
Barbara Hinger
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Language Teaching And Learning

AbstractThis overview of seven years of research on language learning and teaching in Austria reflects a period of steady growth for the language teaching and learning research community, a development due to a national policy agenda aiming for a stronger research base in teacher education. The target languages of the teaching and learning processes investigated are primarily German, English, French, Italian, Spanish as well as several Slavic languages, reflecting the geographical, sociolinguistic and language policy situation of this increasingly multilingual country. This multilingualism means there are clearly many more first languages (L1s) than only German involved in the learning situations investigated. While all the studies reviewed here illustrate research driven by a combination of local and global concerns in connection with different theoretical frameworks, some specific clusters of research interest emerge. These are: societal and individual multilingualism, language education policy, language teacher education, language(s) in other subjects, early language learning, language acquisition and learning, literature and culture, testing and standardisation, digital media, and teaching materials.

scholarly journals Teaching is Not Always Easy: Mexican Pre-service English Teachers’ Beliefs on Teaching and Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 36-51
Author(s):  
Ana Cecilia Villarreal Ballesteros ◽  
Irlanda Olave Moreno ◽  
Lizette Drusila Flores Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Quality Instruction ◽  
Teachers Beliefs

One of the main goals of language teacher education programs is to prepare professionals who can respond to the growing demands of society for quality instruction.  However, we often find that training in current theories and methods has limited impact on pre-service teachers’ long established beliefs and ultimately on their practice. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative study is to explore the conceptual metaphors (Lakoff and Johnson, 2008) used by pre-service teachers when writing their teaching philosophy as a way of unveiling their underlying cognitive mappings. We propose that making future teachers aware of the entrenched metaphors they use to talk about teaching and learning might be a first step in changing their observable behavior. The results of this study show that in spite of exposure to current theories on teaching and learning, pre-service teachers tend to keep outdated theories. This work in conjunction with other strategies will help teacher trainers to foster integration of current ideas about teaching and learning in their students and to recognize their role in improving language education.

scholarly journals Linguistic Education Under Revision: Globalization and EFL Teacher Education in Brazil

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Rachel Mendes ◽  
Kyria Rebeca Finardi
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Efl Teacher ◽  
Efl Teacher Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Education In Brazil

Globalization brought about many changes to the current society's life and mindset and thus, some new challenges to linguistic education, more specifically, foreign language education, have emerged as a consequence of these changes. This paper aims at reflecting upon some impacts of globalization on pre-service English as Foreign Language (hereafter EFL) teacher education in Brazil. Based on the literature review, the paper addresses the changes in the concepts of language, culture and identity related to cultural hybridity and the impact of new information and communications technology on the use, teaching and learning of foreign languages. It concludes that curricula for EFL teacher education programs in Brazil should be reviewed in order to focus more on glocal knowledge and digital literacy for a 21st century aligned education.

LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION. Jon Roberts. London: Arnold, 1998. Pp. viii + 346. $70.00 cloth, $19.95 paper.

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-601
Author(s):  
Manel Lacorte
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Social Dimensions ◽  
Classroom Context ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Dimensions Of Learning ◽  
Constructivist Perspective

This volume is a valuable contribution to the field of language teacher education (LTE) because of its innovative approach to language learning and teaching as well as its consistent organization. As noted in the introduction, the book is intended for language teachers “who will make, or have made, the step from teaching to training” (p. 1). To this end, the author relates the teachers' experience and understanding of the classroom context to a broadly social constructivist perspective, based on the relevance of the personal and social dimensions of learning to teach.

scholarly journals Review of doctoral research on second language teaching and learning in Spain (2008–2010)

2012 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-107
Author(s):  
Raquel Serrano ◽  
Imma Miralpeix
Keyword(s):  
Adult Learners ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Language Teachers ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Immigrant Populations ◽  
Selection Of

This paper reviews a selection of doctoral theses on language learning and teaching completed in Spain between 2008 and 2010. A total of 16 theses have been identified as representative – in terms of the topics under investigation and the methodology employed – of the doctoral research undertaken in Spain. Current topics include the development of speaking skills, motivation, learner autonomy, pragmatics, learning context, Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), language learning by immigrant populations and, especially, classroom teaching. A variety of research methods were employed in the theses under review, and while most of them focus on adult learners, some also consider children. The interest of researchers in these topics is consistent with the challenges faced by language teachers in Spain, as well as with the new realities of teaching in this country, with its recently-arrived immigrant population, the expansion of CLIL programmes and the use of new technologies.

scholarly journals Teletandem and telepresence: Rethinking the cultural component in language teaching and language teacher education

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 781-800
Author(s):  
Ana Cristina Biondo SALOMÃO
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Learning Context ◽  
Language Teacher Education ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Cultural Experiences ◽  
Cultural Component

ABSTRACT This articles discusses some of the results of a qualitative ethnographic research on foreign language teacher's conceptions of culture in an extension course for continuing education in the virtual collaborative learning context of "Teletandem Brazil: foreign languages for all", UNESP. The results have implications for the fields of language teaching and learning mediated by new technologies and teacher education. They suggest that telepresence in teletandem provided a means for dialogically undergoing the complexities of cultural experiences. Grounded in real world interaction, these experiences can lead to the change of the knowledge base of language teacher education for intercultural communication and the teaching and learning of culture. Culture can, then, be dissociated from the idea of a homogeneous, fixed and transparent body of knowledge.

scholarly journals THE USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY IN ESP: CURRENT PRACTICES AND SUGGESTIONS FOR ESP TEACHER EDUCATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 017
Author(s):  
Elis Kakoulli Constantinou ◽  
Salomi Papadima-Sophocleous
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Ict Tools ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Republic Of Cyprus ◽  
The Way

Developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) have transformed the way people communicate, interact and also the way they learn. ICT tools are widely used in language teaching and learning, and the benefits have been repeatedly expressed in literature. ESP is yet another area of language education that has been affected by these developments. Despite the fact that there are ESP practitioners who utilise technologies in their teaching, more research is needed in order to identify how widely technology tools are used in ESP, so that action is taken to empower practitioners and provide them with the help they need in order to integrate technology in their practices.  This paper reports on the findings of a study conducted among 67 ESP practitioners from Tertiary Education in Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, the data of which were obtained through the use of an electronic questionnaire. The paper aims at examining the profiles of ESP practitioners in Greece and the Republic of Cyprus describing their use of technology (hardware and software) for the preparation and delivery of their courses. Furthermore, it outlines ESP practitioners’ views on the inclusion of a component on the use of technology in ESP teacher education. The paper concludes with suggestions regarding opportunities for professional development on issues related to the integration of ICT tools in ESP teaching and learning.

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