Teacher Language Awareness as an Important Element in Teacher Professionalism and Autonomy

Abstract

Being an autonomous person means being responsible for one’s actions and accepting the consequences of one’s behavior. Autonomy introduced to teaching comprises a cluster of behavior capacities characteristic of human interdependence. In the field of teaching, the development of autonomy is pursued as a matter of conscious intention, and its presence can be recognized in teacher’s behaviors which are shaped by reflection. This paper focuses on teacher language awareness (TLA) and the relationship between TLA and other dimensions of teacher knowledge. It aims at presenting TLA as one of the key elements of teacher professional development and autonomy. The author focuses on the definition of TLA and discusses a number of factors contributing towards the complexity of TLA. Subsequently the role of TLA in structuring input for learners is analyzed as well as the relationship between TLA and pedagogical practice, and factors affecting the application of TLA in the classroom. Moreover, connections between teachers’ cognitions and practices in teaching grammar will be presented. Finally, TLA and teacher professionalism will be summarized.