Curricular peer mentoring in first‐semester German: Novice learners' perceptions of a “Language Learning Assistant” program

Abstract

AbstractCurricular peer mentoring is a type of peer‐assisted learning that integrates advanced students of a subject directly into beginner‐level courses to facilitate engagement and learning. This study investigates how one curricular peer mentoring program, originally developed to foster active learning in large introductory science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, impacted students' experience in the second language (L2) classroom. First‐semester German learners' perception of their experience with “Language Learning Assistants” (LAs) was analyzed using quantitative and qualitative survey data. Results indicated students' positive response to working with Language LAs. Four overarching themes emerged regarding students' views of the LAs' role and value: LAs as relatable peers, helpers to busy professors, language resources, and cultural ambassadors. Further analysis identified students' perception of LAs' “modeling” function as serving two distinct but overlapping purposes: (1) modeling with an immediate impact on in‐class learning (“near‐term modeling”), and (2) modeling that inspires goal‐setting beyond the classroom (“long‐term modeling”).