scholarly journals Exploring student teachers’ reflection skills: Evidence from journal tasks

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Kusiak-Pisowacka
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Professional Communities ◽  
The One ◽  
Practicum Experiences ◽  
Fostering Reflection ◽  
University Training ◽  
Polish Foreign

The article addresses the issue of developing reflection skills of Polish foreign language student teachers in the context of university training.   Although the importance of fostering reflection in student teachers has been widely acknowledged, the complexity of the construct and difficulties to operationalize reflection in research calls for new studies, to which the present paper aims to contribute. The paper discusses the study in progress whose main aims were to explore the potential of journal tasks as  techniques stimulating trainees’ reflection and to investigate the nature of reflection demonstrated in students’ journals. The results of the analysis of students’ texts revealed different ways that the students adopted to approach the journal task. Three perspectives from which the students developed their narration were identified: teacher-focused, learner-focused and the one that focusses on external factors. Additionally, the analysis led to the identification of three types of  writing, named in the study as Theorising, Describing and Discussing. The findings point to the effectiveness of journal tasks in stimulating students’ thinking about their practicum experiences.  They also stress the significance of fostering novice teachers’ reflection skills as a way of socializing students into new roles they will play in their future professional communities.

Mentoring as a Supportive Way for Novice Teachers in Foreign Language Teacher Development: A Case Study in an Ethnic College in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 318
Author(s):  
Ru Li
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Novice Teachers ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Language Teacher ◽  
Scant Attention ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
One Year

Mentoring has been explored from various perspectives under different theoretical frameworks. The situation-based mentoring brings a lot of possibilities and sustainabilities to the student teachers. Given the overview on the literature of mentoring, it can be found that the research about mentoring mainly is concerned with English-speaking countries such as US and UK and populates in general teacher education. The research in subject-specific field receives scant attention, such as in Foreign Language Teacher Development (hereafter, FLTD). Finding few reports from China, especially about the novices in ethnical colleges, the empirical study running through one year from in an ethnic college shows that mentoring is a supportive way in FLTD for supporting novices. Under the framework of sociocultural theory, we found that, in addition to improving of teaching skills, mentoring can (1) lessen novices’ stress and ‘reality shock’ in teaching and strengthen the sense of belongings; (2) facilitate novice teachers’ reflection ability and (3) foster novice teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching.

scholarly journals Human Relations in Instructional Supervision: EFL Trainees’ Appraisal of a TEFL Practicum

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Juvenale Patinvoh Agbayahoun
Keyword(s):  
Student Teachers ◽  
Instructional Supervision ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Training Tool ◽  
The One ◽  
Practicum Experiences

Instructional or educational supervision is a valuable training tool that can be used to support pre-service teacher education. When it is well implemented, it helps student teachers develop self-awareness, self-assessment and self-reflection skills. This study explores a group of 18 Beninese EFL trainees’ perceptions of instructional supervision and their practicum experiences. It also examines the nature of the relations between them and their supervisors. A mixed method research design is used for the study. The data are collected through three instruments: a questionnaire addressed to the participant EFL trainees, the written records of their practicum experiences, and a follow-up interview to 6 of them who are randomly selected. The findings reveal a lot of discrepancies between the type of supervision they expected and the one they experienced during the practicum. Some useful suggestions are discussed to contribute to a better understanding of the supervisory process and the role of the supervisor in a practicum.

How much Artistic Freedom is permitted when it comes to Language? - Analysis of a Crime Novel

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-60
Author(s):  
Manuela Svoboda ◽  
Petra Zagar-Sostaric
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
German Language ◽  
Direct Speech ◽  
Small Talk ◽  
Language Analysis ◽  
Crime Novel ◽  
Blood Relative ◽  
German Origin ◽  
Artistic Freedom ◽  
The One

Abstract In this article a closer look will be taken at the issue of inaccurately using a foreign language, i.e. German in this particular case, in a crime novel or thriller. Of course, in fiction the author has complete artistic freedom to invent and present things as he/she intends and it doesn`t necessarily have to be realistic or legitimate. But what happens when it comes to an existing language being quoted in fiction? For this purpose David Thomas’ thriller “Blood Relative - How well do you know the one you love?” is analysed regarding parts in which German quotes are used. As the plot is located partly in England and partly in former East Germany (GDR) and the protagonist’s wife is of German origin, direct speech, titles and names are used in German. Subsequently, they are translated into English by the author in order to be understood by the English reader. However, there are many grammar, spelling and semantic mistakes in these German expressions and common small talk quotes. This begs the question, is it justified to disregard linguistic correctness with regards to artistic freedom given the fact that we are dealing with a fictional thriller, or is it nevertheless necessary to be precise concerning foreign language usage? How far may one “test” their artistic freedom in this particular case? In order to answer these questions a detailed analysis of the thriller is performed, concerning artistic freedom and modern literature/light fiction as well as the German language used in quotes and direct speech.

scholarly journals The Small and Efficient Language Network of Polyglots and Hyper-polyglots

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-76
Author(s):  
Olessia Jouravlev ◽  
Zachary Mineroff ◽  
Idan A Blank ◽  
Evelina Fedorenko
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Default Mode Network ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Neural Architecture ◽  
Initial Characterization ◽  
The One ◽  
Multiple Languages ◽  
Language Network

Abstract Acquiring a foreign language is challenging for many adults. Yet certain individuals choose to acquire sometimes dozens of languages and often just for fun. Is there something special about the minds and brains of such polyglots? Using robust individual-level markers of language activity, measured with fMRI, we compared native language processing in polyglots versus matched controls. Polyglots (n = 17, including nine “hyper-polyglots” with proficiency in 10–55 languages) used fewer neural resources to process language: Their activations were smaller in both magnitude and extent. This difference was spatially and functionally selective: The groups were similar in their activation of two other brain networks—the multiple demand network and the default mode network. We hypothesize that the activation reduction in the language network is experientially driven, such that the acquisition and use of multiple languages makes language processing generally more efficient. However, genetic and longitudinal studies will be critical to distinguish this hypothesis from the one whereby polyglots’ brains already differ at birth or early in development. This initial characterization of polyglots’ language network opens the door to future investigations of the cognitive and neural architecture of individuals who gain mastery of multiple languages, including changes in this architecture with linguistic experiences.

Feedback in Reflective Journals Fosters Reflection Skills of Student Teachers

2020 ◽  
pp. 147572572096619
Author(s):  
Martin Pieper ◽  
Julian Roelle ◽  
Rudolf vom Hofe ◽  
Alexander Salle ◽  
Kirsten Berthold
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Control ◽  
Field Experiment ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Conceptual Knowledge ◽  
Journal Entry ◽  
Reflective Journaling ◽  
Online Platform ◽  
Reflective Journal ◽  
Reflective Journals ◽  
Fostering Reflection

The main goal of this study was to test whether feedback from a lecturer and tutor on an initial reflective journal entry fosters reflection quality in a subsequent journal entry and reflection skills in student teachers. To address these questions, we, a team of educators and psychologists, conducted a field experiment during the practical semester. Student teachers ( N = 54; 40 female) wrote two reflective journals about their own classroom teachings on an online-platform and were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: (a) reflective journaling with feedback (experimental condition, n = 27) or (b) reflective journaling without feedback (control condition, n = 27). Feedback in reflective journaling fostered reflection quality in the subsequent journal entry and conceptual knowledge about reflection. These findings indicate that feedback in reflective journal-keeping exerts a powerful influence in fostering reflection in student teachers during their practical semester.

scholarly journals Peculiarities of Development and Use of an Electronic Course on in RAF at Pre-University Stage (Based on the MOODLE E-Platform)

2021 ◽  
pp. 141-143
Author(s):  
Alena V. Podkorytova
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Foreign Students ◽  
Self Control ◽  
University Training ◽  
Methods Of Control

The article deals the variety of possibilities of the Moodle electronic platform for developing e-courses in Russian as a foreign language at the stage of pre-University training of foreign students. The necessity of including this type of training in the work at international preparatory faculties is justified. The types of tasks using the interactive features of the system, methods of control and self-control are defined, and the examples of task structuring and how to perform them are given.

scholarly journals The influence of a Lesson Study cycle on a 2nd grade EFL picture book-based teaching practice lesson in Norway

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Larssen ◽  
Ion Drew
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Educational Method ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Video Recordings

This study aims to explore the influence of Lesson Study on the teaching of a 2nd grade English as a foreign language (EFL) picture book-based lesson conducted by a group of student teachers during teaching practice in Norway. Lesson Study is an investigative educational method originating in Japan. A group of teachers plan a research lesson which one of them teaches and the others observe, their attention focussing on a few selected pupils. The lesson is reviewed, re-planned and re-taught to a different class. The data presented here was collected through video-recordings of two lessons (a lesson taught and the same lesson re-planned and re-taught) and their corresponding pre-, mid-and post-supervision sessions. Lesson Study appeared to have had an influence on the activities, especially the type and number of questions being asked by the teacher, the timing of activities, and the use of the target language. It also appeared to have had an influence on the attitudes of both the mentors and students to using picture books with young EFL learners. Lesson Study has previously been little used and researched in foreign language teaching. This study demonstrates its potential to enhance teaching and learning in that context.

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