In Search of Innovation: Research on Effective Models of Foreign Language Teacher Preparation

Abstract

AbstractToday's teachers must be more than transmitters of knowledge who orchestrate repetitive practice of decontextualized language forms with students: They need to infuse language instruction with meaning and purpose, design opportunities for interaction within and beyond the classroom, and provide responsive and useful assistance throughout the learning process. This review reveals a paucity of empirical research that provides evidence for models of foreign language teacher preparation with the potential to prepare teachers for this role. Despite this lack of research, this review illustrates how the ACTFL/NCATE Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers (ACTFL, 2002) may be invoked as a viable framework for identifying the components of effective and innovative foreign language teacher preparation programs, presenting current programs that exemplify those components, and suggesting continued application of the standards and future research to further define features of model teacher preparation.