Theoretical and applied perspectives on teaching foreign languages in multilingual settings: Pedagogical implications (a review)

While much has been researched regarding English language learner (ELL) perspectives on silence and pedagogical implications, the longitudinal negative effects of ELL silence on foreign language (FL) teachers is an under researched area of study. When considering that (a) Japanese FL classrooms are known to have high levels of silence as compared to the West, (b) FL teachers generally have a negative bias towards student silence, and (c) the fact that FL teacher attrition rates worldwide are reported to be increasing; this is a surprising gap in the field. Using dynamic systems theory, Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems theory, Barnlund's (1970) transactional model of communication, and Spilt et al.'s (2011) student-behavior mental representation model as a framework to investigate FL teacher emotional reactions to silence, the researcher conducted an autoethnographic event-based sampling study over a university term in Japan (98 days). In accordance to event-based sampling methodology, the researcher documented "in-the-moment" or "near-the-moment" incidences when emotional reactions to silence occurred. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) Japanese ELLs are uncomfortable receiving direct FL teacher assistance around their peers, (2) negative reactions to Japanese ELL silence are linked to the establishment or disruption of classroom patterns, and (3) stress pertaining to teacher-teacher silence emerged after teacher-student stress stabilized mid-term. Regarding the third theme, suppressive surface acting and the need for social support were found to contribute to FL teacher stress.

The paper investigates the academic integrity (AcadI) in the activity of a foreign language (FL) teacher at a general secondary education institution (GSEI). Aim of research is to highlight the factors of formation of the FL teacher’s AcadI, to define the directions of its activity regarding the promotion of AcadI, to name the leading ways of preventing violations of AcadI in the GSEI. Methods. To achieve the goal, the following methods were used as theoretical (analysis, synthesis of normative and scientific and pedagogical sources) and empirical (observation of the educational process). Results and discussion. The factors of formation of the FL teacher’s AcadI are singled out and characterized, including the personality qualities of the FL teacher, which can be natural (from the birth) or acquired, the appropriate acquired qualification (an example of the popularization of AcadI and the prevention of its violations in the training of FL teachers under the specialities "Secondary Education (English Language and Literature)" and "Secondary education (German language and literature)" on the basis of Hryhorii Skovoroda University in Pereiaslav, Ukraine), self-education and direct practical professional activity and experience. The authors determined the directions of activity of a FL teacher regarding the promotion of AcadI were defined as: 1) personal example of behavior and academic culture of the FL teacher, 2) the extracurricular work with students about AcadI; 3) optional FL classes on AcadI; 4) the curricular work of the FL teacher with the students directly at FL classes. The leading ways to prevent violations of academic integrity in GSEI were identified: 1) adoption of the Regulation on academic integrity, which should be published on the website of the educational institution and brought to the attention of every participant in the educational process; 2) conducting educational work on compliance with academic integrity; 3) strengthening of self-motivation, self-esteem and self-respect of students, etc. Aspects, thanks to the analysis of which it is possible to verify compliance with the academic culture in the school, are also defined. Conclusions. It was made an attempt to highlight the factors of formation of the FL teacher’s AcadI, which are considered to be as the following: personality qualities, appropriate acquired qualification, self-education, practical professional activity. The directions of activity of a FL teacher regarding the promotion of AcadI were defined and the leading ways of preventing violations of AcadI in the GSEI were named according to the authors’ opinion. The prospect of further research is interviewing FL teachers on their opinion towards AcadI and problems and benefits of participating in AcadI popularization at GSEIs.

This study investigated foreign language (FL) teachers’ experiences of the virtual classroom during COVID-19 lockdown. The sample consisted of 405 FL teachers who participated in the survey which aimed to measure FL teachers’ perceptions of TPACK, virtual classroom activities, online self-efficacy, student engagement and encountered obstacles. The findings indicate that teachers working in remote areas practice fewer virtual classroom activities and thus perceive low student online engagement. The article discusses the differences between FL teachers regarding the FL they teach, i.e., differences in student online engagement exist between the FL taught, and differences in virtual classroom activities depend on the FL taught. In addition, school stage predicts FL teachers’ online self-efficacy and the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of TPACK and school size exists.

by Wolfgang Butzkamm and John A W Caldwell narr studienbucher 2009 978-3-8233-6492-4 The question of whether the mother tongue (MT) should be allowed in foreign language (FL) teaching has a long history in methodology debates. It has often been argued that the MT should definitely be avoided as it has a detrimental effect on learning a foreign language. Wolfgang Butzkamm and John Caldwell, however, claim not only that the monolingual approach has a weak basis in theory (even though they consider it a comprehensible reaction to the outcomes of the grammar-translation method), but also that it is better to work with the MT as a ‘natural tendency’ in FL teaching. To support their inclination towards a more relaxed approach to MT use, they scrutinise the reality of what they call the ‘MT taboo’, formulate a theory of MT use in the FL classroom and exemplify their insights through practical teaching techniques. It is the combination of theory and practice that makes the book much more than a ‘how to use the MT in FL teaching’ guide. The book discusses the importance of ‘immersion’ for MT acquisition, which means that a child is exposed to a huge amount of language, first learning chunks of language for communicative purposes and much later learning to break them down into parts. Since it is impractical to reproduce this natural process of acquiring a language in the FL classroom because of restrictions on the time available and, therefore, the exposure to the target language, FL teaching has to provide a focus on both meaning and structure. A prudent use of MT here helps make life easier for teachers and learners: ‘sandwiching’, mirroring and contrasting or literal translation, as the authors show, can be embedded in pattern drills in grammar teaching, dialogue work and drama. Moreover, it can increase the input of authentic material in the form of, for example, bilingual readers or DVDs with subtitles. A controlled use of the MT in the FL classroom also allows access to the understanding of language concepts that each learner has, even if those concepts are different in the MT and the FL. For example, when a teacher wants to show how continuous tenses are formed to learners whose own language has no continuous tenses, translation is a better way to express finer shades of meaning than an explanation or paraphrase in the target language. When the FL can be integrated into existing knowledge (ie the MT), the FL is ‘deforeignised’ and confidence is built up in the learner. In other words, the MT can be useful in promoting understanding of both form and meaning (which use of the FL alone often fails to do). Real understanding and control are key words in this book, and it is argued that fashionable methods of communicative language teaching which strictly exclude the MT often cause a learning situation in which students do not really understand what they are saying (but merely parrot phrases for no communicative reason) and, as a result, skills learning is impeded. The authors put their case convincingly, supporting their arguments with insights into the mechanisms used by children growing up bilingually: mixing their languages is a tactic that helps them learn. A separate chapter discusses ‘translation as a fifth skill’ with the help of some intellectually demanding (and therefore enjoyable) classroom activities, which, not least, help develop MT competence. The authors do admit that there are many situations where monolingualism is preferable, especially for classroom management, and claim that a controlled use of the MT should actually increase the time available for using the FL. The book is aimed particularly at student teachers, having study questions and tasks at the end of each chapter as well as many practical ideas, but I am sure that experienced teachers will also benefit from it. A benchmark in its field, the book is a must for all those who want to contribute to the debate over the pros and cons of using the MT in FL teaching.

Book Review: Theoretical and applied perspective on teaching foreign languages in multilingual settings: Pedagogical implications

Anna Krulatz, Georgios Neokleous, and Anne Dahl: Theoretical and applied perspectives on teaching foreign languages in multilingual settings: pedagogical Implications

Due to the adverse effects of teachers’ burnout on their professional performance, remarkable attention has been devoted to this mental state and its negative predictors. In this regard, multiple empirical research has been carried out to assess the effects of grit and self-efficacy as negative predictors of teacher burnout. Yet, no empirical or review study has delved into the impact of these variables at the same time. The current study attempts to fill this gap by delineating the impact of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ grit and self-efficacy on their burnout. The significant role of grit and self-efficacy in curbing EFL teachers’ burnout was illustrated using theoretical and empirical evidence. The pedagogical implications are also offered.

Work engagement is widely acknowledged as an influential element in teachers’ professional success; thus, remarkable attention has been paid to the physical and psychological predictors of this construct. Yet, the antecedents of English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ work engagement have rarely been studied. To narrow the existing gap, the current inquiry aimed to delve into the psychological determinants of teacher work engagement by scrutinizing the role of psychological well-being and self-efficacy in Chinese EFL teachers’ engagement. To this end, three close-ended questionnaires were given to 304 Chinese EFL teachers via WeChat messenger. Conducting correlational analyses, positive and substantial relationships were discovered between psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and teaching engagement. The function that psychological well-being and self-efficacy may serve in Chinese EFL teachers’ engagement was also assessed using path analysis. Chinese EFL teachers’ work engagement was found to be considerably affected by their sense of efficacy and well-being. Some pedagogical implications that might be noteworthy for teachers and institutional administrators are finally discussed.

<p style="text-align: justify;">This investigation examined English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perceptions of their self-efficacy in using instructional strategies in the context of the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. The research was designed as a descriptive research collecting quantitative and qualitative data from a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Forty-six Vietnamese EFL teachers were invited to partake in the study. The results indicated that participants were in general confident in using instructional strategies in their English classes. Specifically, the participants were highly confident in their abilities to use multimedia (M=4.41), assessment techniques (M=4.35), and classroom English (M=4.35). The study also indicated that participants were not confident in evaluating the level of task difficulty (M=3.37), dealing with unmotivated students (M=3.57), and meeting students’ particular needs for support (M=3.62). Pedagogical implications and recommendations were addressed to help manifold stakeholders at the end of this paper.</p>

This review strives to illuminate the related studies on the effect of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers’ positive and negative emotions on their work engagement. The negative correlations among teachers’ boredom, apprehension, shame, frustration, and work engagement have been confirmed in the review of the literature. Furthermore, few studies have validated the effect of teachers’ positive emotions, such as enjoyment and pride, on their work engagement in educational contexts. The studies showed that some factors, such as teacher self-efficacy, teacher self-sufficiency, increased academic challenges, and ambiguity in educational contexts, can mediate the relationship between teachers’ negative emotions and work engagement. The review of literature has emphasized the mediating role of growth mindset in the relationship between teachers’ positive emotions and work engagement. To improve the language teaching quality, the pedagogical implications are explained in the end. Some suggestions for further research are provided to expand the literature about teachers’ emotional variables.

This article is about language development of a foreign language (FL) teacher and is centred around the concept of teacher professional competence. Although the definition seems clear and indisputable, no publication has been traced that would clarify what a FL teacher language competence is. It immediately leads to diverse and sometimes contradictory views of content and language skills a FL teacher is supposed to demonstrate. I use this fact as a starting point and make an attempt to provide my view of a FL teacher language competence and essential elements that comprise it. My contention is that besides ‘general language’ and language awareness, a FL teacher should demonstrate skills in classroom and out-of-classroom communication. I support my view by coming out with a tentative and, at the moment, rather schematic description of FL teacher language competence. I consider this as the first step toward the definition of language teacher language competence to be followed by substantial empirical research which, hopefully, will contribute to a valid and more detailed description of the concept in question.

To test the hypothesis that foreign language and music instruction in early life are associated with lower incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and slower rate of cognitive decline in old age. At enrollment in a longitudinal cohort study, 964 older persons without cognitive impairment estimated years of foreign language and music instruction by age 18. Annually thereafter they completed clinical evaluations that included cognitive testing and clinical classification of MCI. There were 264 persons with no foreign language instruction, 576 with 1-4 years, and 124 with > 4 years; 346 persons with no music instruction, 360 with 1-4 years, and 258 with > 4 years. During a mean of 5.8 years of observation, 396 participants (41.1%) developed MCI. In a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, and education, higher levels (> 4 years) of foreign language (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.687, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.482, 0.961]) and music (HR = 0.708, 95% CI [0.539, 0.930]) instruction by the age of 18 were each associated with reduced risk of MCI. The association persisted after adjustment for other early life indicators of an enriched cognitive environment, and it was stronger for nonamnestic than amnestic MCI. Both foreign language and music instruction were associated with higher initial level of cognitive function, but neither instruction measure was associated with cognitive decline. Higher levels of foreign language and music instruction during childhood and adolescence are associated in old age with lower risk of developing MCI but not with rate of cognitive decline.

Teacher wellbeing (TWB) among foreign language teachers (FLTs) remains an overlooked area in educational research, despite their critical role in fostering linguistic and cultural competence. FLTs face unique challenges, particularly in multilingual and multicultural regions, which can significantly impact their wellbeing. This study examines the interrelationships among FLTs' adaptive performance (AP), cultural intelligence (CQ), and principals' transformational leadership (TL) in shaping TWB. Focusing on six border districts of Odisha, India, where FLTs operate within a multicultural and multilingual educational landscape, this study employs a quantitative research design to propose and test seven hypotheses. Data collected through a structured questionnaire from FLTs across these districts were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Results reveal that AP, CQ, and TL significantly influence TWB. Moreover, CQ acts as a complementary partial mediator between AP and TWB and between TL and TWB, indicating that AP enhances TWB not only by equipping teachers with the flexibility to manage professional challenges but also by fostering intercultural competence, which further improves their work experiences. Additionally, TL plays an important role in creating a supportive and culturally responsive work environment that strengthens TWB. These insights emphasize the need for school leadership to cultivate an inclusive and adaptive educational atmosphere. While the study is region-specific and relies on self-reported data, it contributes to the understanding of TWB in multilingual and multicultural settings. The findings provide valuable guidance for policymakers and educational leaders in designing strategies to enhance both FLTs' and students' wellbeing in diverse educational contexts.

In a mixed-methods approach, this paper explores student views of plurilingual foreign-language (FL) teaching of English among primary-school students in grade 4. We investigate whether students who were raised in the majority language only and those who grew up speaking an additional minority language differ in their appreciation of plurilingual FL teaching and whether plurilingual FL teaching appeals to students with different profiles in linguistic, cognitive, attitudinal, or individual background factors. One-hundred and thirty-two students took part in a six-month teaching intervention, in which 20% of FL lesson time was devoted to plurilingual teaching. A qualitative analysis of student interviews shows mixed views of plurilingual FL teaching, with students speaking additional minority languages evaluating plurilingual teaching more favourably than majority-language-only students. In a quantitative analysis, we compare the groups of students who appreciated and those who did not appreciate plurilingual FL teaching in terms of their linguistic, cognitive or individual background factors. Students who appreciate plurilingual FL teaching display significantly more positive attitudes to the FL and a greater sense of academic achievement. Moreover, students appreciative of plurilingual FL teaching demonstrate significantly higher learning gains in productive vocabulary than non-appreciative students. In all, these findings indicate that attitudinal factors modulate the appreciation and the learning outcomes in plurilingual FL teaching.

The preparation of U.S. foreign language (FL) teachers has been a frequently discussed topic during the past century. As the oldest, continuously published American journal devoted to FL learning and teaching, the MLJ provides an overview of the many issues pertinent to FL teacher education that the profession has grappled with. This historical review traces discussions and developments in teacher preparation and certification since the MLJ 's inception in 1916. In three sections, each covering a quarter century of the Journal 's publications, the article describes the most relevant discussions and events that have helped shape FL teacher education in the United States. Although many efforts —and doubtlessly many advances —have been made to assure a supply of qualified FL teachers for the nation 's schools, many of the problems discussed more than 80 years ago still remain unsolved. The author hopes that a critical look at the past will help the profession to focus on those proposals that are finding emerging consensus and to prioritize those needs and activities that help effect meaningful change in improving the qualifications of FL teachers.