Foreign Language Teacher Candidates Research Articles

Exploring pre-service foreign language teachers’ intention to adopt technology: an investigation from the perspective of Situated Expectancy-Value Theory

Abstract The intention of pre-service foreign language teachers to adopt technology (PIAT) reflects their willingness to integrate educational technology tools into their teaching practices, which is essential for the digital transformation of language education and the professional development of teacher candidates. Drawing upon the Situated Expectancy-Value Theory, this study utilizes a structural equation model to analyze the factors influencing the intention of pre-service foreign language teachers to adopt technology. The results reveal that: (1) four motivational factors (i.e., self-efficacy, perceived enjoyment, perceived importance, and perceived usefulness) significantly predict PIAT, while perceived anxiety negatively correlates with, but does not significantly predict PIAT; (2) mindset significantly impacts perceived enjoyment, perceived importance, perceived usefulness, and perceived anxiety; (3) social influence exerts a significant influence on self-efficacy and mindset. The study concludes with implications for enhancing the digital literacy of foreign language teacher candidates.

Inclusive Education through Digital Comic Creation in Higher Learning Environments

This research aims to promote diversity and inclusion among higher education students by examining the integration of technology into project-based learning (PBL) for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates. Based on a mixed-methods approach and convenience sampling (n = 84 participants), this study involved pre-service teachers who collaboratively employed several authoring tools to create 16 digital comic strips for teaching English. The focus of the project was on inclusivity, cultural diversity, and affective education. This study consisted of five stages corresponding to different critical thinking skills: comprehension, negotiation, creation, presentation, and evaluation. The instruments used for quantitative data included a pre/post-survey based on two validated scales. Qualitative data were gathered through class discussions and semi-structured interviews. The results, analyzed through SPSS and QDA Miner Lite, revealed that teacher candidates lacked prior experience using digital tools to create EFL-inclusive materials. However, the study also highlighted increased awareness of inclusive education and strong advocacy for the integration of transformative technology in teacher training programs.

Investigating EFL teacher candidates’ acceptance and self-perceived self-efficacy of augmented reality

The mixed-methods sequential explanatory design study presented here sought to investigate the acceptance and self-perceived self-efficacy of Augmented Reality technology among English as a Foreign Language teacher candidates. This study’s contribution to the field of AR as an instructional technology lies in that research on the using AR technology in language teacher education are particularly limited. To bridge this research gap, one-group pre-test-post-test design was used in this study, in which ten weeks of AR-enhanced English language teacher training treatment was carried out. To answer the research questions, quantitative data were gathered from 50 volunteers by using the Technology Acceptance Model survey and Self-Efficacy Scale. Qualitative data were received via semi-structured interviews carried out with 12 pre-service teachers. Findings revealed that there was a significant increase in EFL teacher candidates’ levels of AR technology acceptance whereas no significant difference was identified in their self-perceived self-efficacy. The interviewees proposed interpersonal, intrapersonal, technological, and technical factors to explain their low self-efficacy levels. Based on the findings, the paper offers implications and suggestions for researchers, teacher educators, and policymakers. The solutions to increase the level of acceptance and self-perceived self-efficacy levels to use AR among EFL Teacher Candidates include courses on Emergent Technologies (ICT, MALL, CALL, AR), training via seminars, workshops, input sessions through (inter)nationally funded projects, real-life examples, field-specific samples, and hands-on experiences.

Integrating chatbots in education: insights from the Chatbot-Human Interaction Satisfaction Model (CHISM)

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have paved the way for the integration of text-based and voice-enabled chatbots as adaptive virtual tutors in education. Despite the increasing use of AI-powered chatbots in language learning, there is a lack of studies exploring the attitudes and perceptions of teachers and students towards these intelligent tutors. This study aims to compare several linguistic and technological aspects of four App-Integrated Chatbots (AICs) and to examine the perceptions among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher candidates. In this mixed-methods research based on convenience sampling, 237 college students from Spain (n = 155) and the Czech Republic (n = 82) interacted with four AICs over a month, and evaluated them following a rubric based on the Chatbot-Human Interaction Satisfaction Model. This scale was specifically designed to assess different linguistic and technological features of AICs such as response interval, semantic coherence, sentence length, and user interface. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a pre-post-survey, based on the CHISM model and student assessment reports. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS statistics software, while qualitative data were examined using QDA Miner software, focusing on identifying recurring themes through frequency analysis. The findings indicated a moderate level of satisfaction with AICs, suggesting that enhancements in areas such as better adapting to learner needs, integrating interactive multimedia, and improving speech technologies are necessary for a more human-like user interaction.

Teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills (RTSs) and pedagogical competence in EFL classrooms

This study aimed to investigate the association between English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates’ reflective thinking skills (RTSs) and pedagogical competence. Employing a correlational study, a questionnaire conveying four dimensions of RTSs and the teacher candidates’ report of pedagogical performance in the microteaching course was used to collect the data on pedagogical competence. Using Google Forms, the questionnaire was administered to 52 EFL teacher candidates. The descriptive statistics identified that the RTSs of the EFL teacher candidates were categorized in the habitual action type. Pearson Product Moment yielded that the EFL teacher candidates’ RTSs and their pedagogical performance had a high positive statistically significant correlation, as the observed sig. value was .766. This finding confirmed that RTSs bridged the theoretical-practical divide, and was found as a predictive variable for pedagogical competence. Therefore, teacher education programs need to consider developing and implementing training activities to enhance student teachers’ RTSs, enabling them to make better pedagogical practices.

Turkish EFL Teacher Candidates’ Research Article Reading: A Two-pronged Approach

This qualitative study reports on how 107 English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates have read and interpreted research articles (RAs) in a course they took in a teacher education program in Turkey. By using the basic principles of sociocognitive views of literacy, I analyzed the interview data to have a descriptive analysis of my students’ (i.e., teacher candidates who are pre-service EFL teachers) engagements and also challenges with research article (RA) reading. The findings revealed a two-pronged approach toward RA reading by the participants. While the participants have found this engagement new and edifying, at the same time they have complained of their challenges in several parts. Similarly, while most of them found reading RAs useful, they also claimed that they could not a see a real value in reading them. The findings obtained therefore call for a detailed scrutiny and design of pre-service teachers’ academic text reading.

Hizmet öncesi ve hizmet içi yabancı dil öğretmenlerinin akademik sunumlarındaki sohbet oyunları kullanımı

Mastery of speaking skills in a second language (L2) necessitates not only having the full command of the linguistic repertoire but also the knowledge of tactfulness in the target language. Being a tactful communicator requires the use of strategies such as conversational gambits in everyday speech. Gambits are usually multiple linguistic units which convey certain messages such as opening a conversation or keeping it flow smoothly. Such semi-fixed expressions can also be used to highlight several aspects of spoken discourse and to gain time for effective communication. L2 speakers may resort to opening gambits to present or add a new idea to the topic of conversation. Linking gambits can be used to change the subject or connect ideas. Responding gambits signal a response regarding a specific issue. Research investigating the use of conversational gambits is limited to analyses of gambit use in discussions and debates in instructed L2 settings. Although these gambits can be viewed as discourse glues, their use in academic presentations is an understudied area. This study aims at describing and comparing the type and the frequency of conversational gambits used in the audio-recorded academic presentations of pre-and in-service foreign language teachers, within Keller and Warner’s framework (2002). The findings suggest that in-service language teachers’ use of these three categories of conversational gambits are evenly distributed; however, the pre-service foreign language teachers rely on opening gambits more often than the other gambit types. These foreign language teacher candidates refrain from using responding gambits, which are important in pursuing an academic discussion and directing further follow up questions on the topic. The study offers implications for teacher trainers and curriculum developers in developing the speaking skills of pre-service foreign language teachers.

What’s Covid19 Got to Do with My Communicative Competence? Self-reflections of Pre-service English Language Teachers in Turkey

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all theoretical and practical classes and methods of assessment had to be delivered on digital platforms. This paper reports the use of task-based assessment of the communicative competence of first-year pre-service English language teachers. The aim was to explore the role of the platform where the tasks were held on the students’ self-assessment of their spoken performances. The participants (n=50) evaluated their linguistic, discourse, strategic and sociolinguistics competence on two public speaking tasks. The face-to-face speaking task required elaborating on two famous quotes, whereas the online speaking task had to do with the semiotic analysis of a TV commercial which was decided upon by the teacher candidate. Student evaluations of their communicative competence ranged on a scale from one to five, where one meant very poor and five meant very good. The results indicated that the only component of communicative competence that was viewed to be good was discourse competence in the face-to-face task; however, all the elements of communicative competence were considered to be good except for the sociolinguistic competence in the face-to-screen task. The main findings were (i) that the students had a more positive evaluation of their communicative competence when making online presentations and (ii) that they mostly attributed the differences in their self-evaluations either to the platform or to a combination of the platform and the nature of the task. Yet, face-to-face interaction seems to act as a requirement to improve the sociolinguistic competence of foreign language teacher candidates.

Formation of professional competencies of a future foreign language teacher in the field of distance education

The aim of this study is to evaluate the opinions of teacher candidates and teachers related to foreign language teaching through distance education and to make forward-looking recommendations in line with these views. The study group consists of 30 teacher candidates who studied foreign language teaching at various universities in Kazakhstan during the 2020–2021 academic year and 35 English teachers who teach English in secondary schools in Almaty. The study was carried out within the scope of qualitative research and research data were collected with two semi-structured interview forms created by the researcher. The data obtained from the research are categorised by content analysis. As a result of the study, teacher candidates found distance education more inefficient in education than formal education and inadequate to provide distance education. Teachers, on the other hand, saw distance education as advantageous in terms of saving time and space, disadvantaged by student motivation, teacher inexperience and technical glitches. As a result of the research, it has emerged that urgent solutions are needed to eliminate the need to provide a separate education on distance education to teacher candidates and teachers, student motivation and technical problems.
 Keywords: distance education, advantages of distance education, disadvantages of distance education, foreign language teacher candidates, foreign language teachers, teacher opinions

Mobile Learning and Readiness of Ongoing Foreign Language Teacher Candidates for Future Retrospective Studies

Due to technical advancements, humanity has seen a variety of sociological transformations. In historical terms, the move to sedentary life may be categorized widely into two categories: industrial society and information society. It also indicates that these changes and advances are permanent in the educational and training contexts and that the link between teaching and technology is anchored and evolving. The specific differences of each student will be taken into account in future foreign language classrooms, as well as providing them with an active role, associating their learning, and equipping teachers with technical tools. This may be accomplished by submitting the future approach to educational settings to teacher candidates. The readiness is an essential factor, as the quality of preparation of teacher candidates and technology itself. Further technical breakthroughs have affected our everyday lives, the formation of new vehicles utilized in educational contexts, and the development of new methodologies, including today’s smart tablet computers from the abacus. Today’s research reflects the need to consider the potential effects of the Covid pandemic from a broader viewpoint. According to this perspective, rather than being viewed as an event, the integration of technology into education should be seen as a process influenced by variables other than only technological development. It is critical to assess the current situation in light of the history of technology and the existing situation in the present and changes throughout time as indicators of future developments. However, the extent of current data on the usage of mobile technology, which falls under the category of mobile technology, limits the reach of a retrospective cohort study (also called a historical cohort study or with a more general name longitudinal cohort study). The purpose of this study is to present data for future Longitudinal Cohort Studies by illustrating the degree of readiness of ongoing Anadolu University, Faculty of Education German as a Foreign Language Teacher Candidates.
  

Enhancing foreign language teacher candidates’ oral proficiency: An international comparison

Despite the importance of advanced language proficiency when teaching a foreign language, little research has investigated the oral proficiency of aspiring foreign language teachers across multiple countries and what their teacher training programs do to enhance it. In response, the researchers collected and analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from foreign language teacher candidates in Germany, China, and the United States. Results suggested that oral proficiency varies significantly both within individual teacher training programs and across nations. The teacher candidates from Germany demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency in the target language than their Chinese counterparts, who in turn, demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency than the US teacher candidates. Helping to explain these findings, the data suggested that foreign language teacher training programs have differing areas of focus. While the programs in Germany and China focused more attention on language development, the US program emphasized pedagogical skills. Implications for practice are discussed.

The Effects of COVID-19 Process on Time Management of Foreign Language Teacher Candidates

In this study which was conducted to determine the effects of the COVID-19 process on time management of foreign language teacher candidates, qualitative design was used. The study group was formed by criterion sampling, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods. The criteria determined were for the participants to work, to have pedagogical formation training online, and to have previously had face-to-face training. Accordingly, 35 foreign language teacher candidates participated in the study. A semi-structured interview form consisting of five questions was used to collect the data. Content analysis technique was used in the analysis of the data and themes were reached from the codes. From the data obtained, it was concluded that the plans made about education in the COVID-19 process could not be followed due to the inability to perceive time, the process negatively affected time management as it created psychological pressure and wasted time, this changed the perception of time by making the time to pass quickly, that there were motivation problems arising from the focus and lack of explanations about the lessons and family factors and that time traps related to excessive computer use, watching movies-series, and excessive communication were encountered. At the same time, it was determined that the COVID-19 process has positive effects on preventing wasting time due to the traffic problem, creating a chance for individuals to spend more time for themselves and providing a more flexible studying environment. Regarding the negative effects of the COVID-19 process on time management, it is recommended that teacher candidates, who assume a great responsibility especially in the field of education, receive training on stress coping, distance education and time management in order to avoid or be affected less by the negative effects such as pandemics without field limitation.

Prospective Foreign Language Teacher Candidates’ Views on the Use of Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Education and Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Case of Erbil, Iraq

Prospective Foreign Language Teacher Candidates’ Views on the Use of Communication Technologies in Foreign Language Education and Their Self-Efficacy Beliefs: Case of Erbil, Iraq

Recorded video meetings in virtual exchange: a new frontier for pre-service teacher reflection

This study examined a virtual exchange in which English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher candidates from Colombia were partnered with Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) teacher candidates from the United States. The eight (n = 8) participants interacted via videoconference for six weeks. Additionally, they watched recordings of their video meetings in order to reflect on their experiences and what they noticed about their interactions (Schmidt, 1990). Results from qualitative data showed participants’ awareness of their professional identity and professional development. Additionally, incorporating a reflective component, based on watching recorded synchronous sessions, into virtual exchange is shown to be a valuable tool for making connections between theory and practice.

Online teaching placement during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile: challenges and opportunities

ABSTRACT The 2019 Coronavirus pandemic has triggered significant changes in education systems worldwide and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes have been particularly affected by the associated challenges. Due to school closures, teaching placements have had to shift from the face-to-face lessons to an entirely virtual model. Twenty-seven Chilean English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher candidates participated in this interpretative case study aiming at exploring the challenges and opportunities of this virtual teaching experience. The results indicate that factors such as the lack of direct interaction with learners and the sudden change of setting were among those that most strongly affected the participants’ own learning process. Despite the challenges presented, student teachers suggested that this unique experience would contribute positively, at least to a certain extent, to their teacher education and their future careers. Based on the findings of this study, a series of recommendations for ITE programmes are provided.

Validity and reliability study of the attitude scale towards second foreign language learning

In this study it is aimed to develop a measurement tool to determine the attitudes of foreign language teacher candidates towards a second foreign language. The item pool was prepared by literature review and teacher candidates’ views and finalized by taking expert opinions. The 61 item preliminary form was applied to 504 teacher candidates studying in different grades of Foreign Language Teaching Departments of Gazi University Gazi Faculty of Education in 2018-2019 academic year Spring semester. Analyses towards determining the psychometric features of the scale were made on the data set obtained from the application. For construct validity exploratory factor analysis and afterwards confirmatory factor analysis was made. The data set was applied first Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) for construct validity and then Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). The exploratory and confirmatory analyses were made on two groups by dividing the total student number into two. EFA was conducted on the first group (n1=252) whereas CFA was conducted on the second group (n2=252). At the end of exploratory factor analysis, the scale was observed to consist of 43 items and 3 sub-dimensions. The sub-dimensions were named according to the judgments the scale items reflected as “positive belief towards learning a second foreign language”, “resistance to learning a second foreign language” and “attaching importance to learning a second foreign language”. The three factor structure about the scale explains the 49.72% of the total variance. At the end of the reliability analysis Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for the overall scale is .95, for sub-dimensions respectively as .95 and .90 and .76. The model fit indices for the scale at the end of the confirmatory factor analysis are determined as RMSEA, .076; I‡2/df=2.4; SRMR=.81; NFI=.94; NNFI=.96; IFI=96; CFI=.96; RFI=94. Values obtained from confirmatory factor analysis are in acceptable reference range and shows that 3 factor scale construct is validated.

Investigation of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Turkish Foreign Language Teacher Candidates Oriented Instructional Strategies

Investigation of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Turkish Foreign Language Teacher Candidates Oriented Instructional Strategies

Envisioning a Future of Re-examination of Foreign Language Teacher Education

Envisioning a Future of Re-examination of Foreign Language Teacher Education Comfort Pratt Keywords foreign languages/lenguas extranjeras, language proficiency/proficiencia de lengua, Portuguese/portugués, Spanish/español, teacher education/formación docente Response to "The Future of K–12 Teacher Education: Spanish and Portuguese" The precarious situation facing the foreign language community in the United States presages a future of re-examination of foreign language teacher education. However pervasive the shortage of foreign language teachers may be as evidenced by Swanson (2012, 2013), of equal concern are the target language proficiency levels and pedagogical skills of the teachers, as well as their knowledge about their students' motivations for studying the languages (Brooks and Darhower 2014; Pratt, Agnello, and Santos 2009; Rhodes and Pufahl 2008; Richards, Conway, Rosvist, and Harvey 2013), but I will limit my response to language proficiency. The Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers proposed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (ACTFL/CAEP) require preservice teachers of Portuguese and Spanish to have a minimum proficiency level of Advanced Low (ACTFL/CAEP 2013). This is also the widely accepted minimum requirement for certification. However, the literature indicates that students coming out of US foreign language undergraduate programs hardly ever achieve that level (Darhower 2014; Glisan 2013; Tedick 2013), and only 54% of teacher candidates attain Advanced Low oral proficiency (Glisan, Swender, and Surface 2013). Rhodes and Pufahl (2008) also report that more than one quarter of elementary school foreign language teachers are not certified, and the percentage of elementary schools that had uncertified language teachers increased from 17% in 1997 to 31% in 2008. VanPatten (2015) cautions about the dearth of experts in language acquisition and notes that the combined expertise (linguistics, language acquisition, language teaching) of tenure-line faculty members at PhD granting institutions in Spanish is about 20% and only 6% of them has expertise in second-language acquisition. That, to him, indicates a major lacuna in "language departments," and he questions: "Who is driving the bus of language development?" (2). He expresses the concern that since very few language experts are exiting doctoral programs, most of the people who will be at the helm of language departments and programs will not be language experts. He explains that "language acquisition is the place where the rubber meets the road" as language acquisitionists are the ones who have the best chance of informing language teaching(5). He adds that without a strong presence of language experts, there is a predominance of old myths such as the belief that language is a list of rules, which in my view explains the continued pervasive use of grammar-based curricula despite the abundant literature on the indispensability of communicative approaches for communicative competence. Therefore, school districts will increase the hiring of Spanish and Portuguese native speakers from other countries until there is a consistent flow of homegrown teachers who meet the [End Page 268] required language proficiency standards. The "Visiting Teachers from Spain in the USA and Canada" program of the Ministry of Education of Spain for example continues to gain popularity in school districts. Comfort Pratt Texas Tech University WORKS CITED ACTFL/CAEP. (2013). "ACTFL Program Standards for the Preparation of Foreign Language Teachers." Web. 2 June 2016. PDF. Google Scholar Brooks, Frank B., and Mark Anthony Darhower. (2014). "It Takes a Department! A Study of the Culture of Proficiency in Three Successful Foreign Language Teacher Education Programs." Hispania 47.4: 592–613. Print. Google Scholar Darhower, Mark Anthony. (2014). "Literary Discussions and Advanced-Superior Speaking Functions in the Undergraduate Language Program." Hispania 97.3: 396–412. Print. Google Scholar Glisan, Eileen. (2013). "On Keeping the Target Language in Language Teaching: A Bottom-Up Effort to Protect the Public and Students." Modern Language Journal 97: 541–44. Print. Google Scholar Glisan, Eileen, Elvira Swender, and Eric Surface. (2013). "Oral Proficiency Standards and Foreign Language Teacher Candidates: Current Findings and Future Research Directions." Foreign Language Annals 46: 264–89. Print. Google Scholar Pratt, Comfort, Mary Frances Agnello, and Sheryl Santos. (2009). "Factors That Motivate High-School Students' Decisions to Study Spanish." Hispania 92.4: 800–13...

Intercultural Sensitivity Levels of Turkish Pre-Service Foreign Language Teachers: Examples from Education Faculties of Two Universities in Turkey.

The aim of this study is to determine whether intercultural sensitivity levels vary among foreign language teacher candidates in terms of variables such as target language, year of study (grade), and gender in both intra and inters programs. Research sample consists of 1,049 Turkish freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior foreign language teacher candidates who are studying German, English and French Languages at two universities during the spring semester of 2015 to 2016 academic year. The research employs survey model, a quantitative research method which uses a positivist paradigm. Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) was used as data collection tool. All research data were subjected to inferential analysis via Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis H, Friedman Tests, and Kendall’s tau_b correlation analysis in terms of participant related and environmental variables. Research findings revealed that inclusion of intercultural approach into foreign language teaching programs equipped Turkish foreign language teacher candidates with high level intercultural sensitivity. In this regard, it is of paramount significance to incorporate intercultural approach into the curricula of education faculties in order to have future foreign language teachers who can serve as intercultural models, negotiators, and mediators. Based on the need to reform general qualifications of teaching profession in accordance with contemporary requirements, the roles of intercultural model, negotiator, and mediator should also be added as part of the approach into the current conceptual framework of professional qualifications for foreign language teachers which is in a restructuring process. Key words: Foreign language teacher competence, intercultural communication skill, intercultural attitudes, intercultural sensitivity, intercultural mediator.

English

This study investigates foreign language teacher candidates’ views regarding the issue of autonomous learning through a survey given to the students in the Department of German Language Teaching at Marmara University in Istanbul. Participants’ views on their responsibilities, learning styles, strategies, and motivation during the learning processes were elicited through the scale “checklists for learner autonomy”. The results of the study indicate that while prospective teachers were aware of their learning styles and strategies, their strengths and weaknesses, they needed to develop their skills to put into practice what they knew about autonomous learning in theory.   Key words: Autonomous learning, learning style, learning strategy.