The Beliefs and Experiences of World Language Teachers in the US: (23 Psychology of Language Learning and Teaching)

This book tells the stories of 15 world language (WL) teachers in the United States at elementary and secondary levels through rich descriptions of their lived worlds and experiences. In-depth interviews, extensive observations, learner interviews, and document and environment analysis illustrate in detail how teacher beliefs relate to their practices and are mediated and moderated by their learners, institutional demands, equity and access to WL education and other factors. The chapters provide a deep and robust explanation of individual teachers’ teaching lives and a cross-contextual comparison of their experiences, shining a light on the realities and demands of modern US schools. Grounded in the research literature on language teacher beliefs and cognition, this book takes the stance that all teaching is situated and contextual, and that addressing teachers' methods, practices and knowledges in ways that are divorced from their setting and environment has serious limitations. It offers fascinating insights for researchers, language educators and pre- and in-service teachers, with reflection questions at the end of each chapter to guide readers in drawing connections with their own practice, interests and contexts.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction   Chapter 2: Studying the World Language Classroom   Chapter 3: Elementary and Middle/Junior High School World Language Teaching Life   Chapter 4: The Singleton World Language Teaching Life   Chapter 5: Experiences in Small to Mid-Sized World Language Programs   Chapter 6: Large World Language High School Programs: The Spanish Teachers   Chapter 7: Large World Language High School Programs: Languages Other Than Spanish   Chapter 8: Conclusions Appendix A Appendix B References Index

About the Author :
Pamela M. Wesely is Professor of Multilingual Education and Associate Dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at the College of Education, University of Iowa, USA. Her research centers around K-12 world language education in the United States, specifically the attitudes, motivations, perceptions and beliefs of stakeholders in those contexts. Innovation is a key area of interest in her work, particularly pedagogical innovation that departs from the grammar-based curriculum.

Review :
Contextualized within a comprehensive overview of the current state of world language education in the United States, Wesely draws on her decades of research with world language teachers to craft a thoughtful and thorough set of portraits of K-12 world language teachers. In each case, she represents the ways in which their beliefs are informed by and interact with their teaching practices, the learners in their classrooms, and communities in which they teach. In this book Wesely offers a unique perspective on world language teaching in today’s diverse contexts of instruction. Providing a history of language teaching in the US, current initiatives supporting world language instruction and detailed descriptions of fifteen K-12 world language teachers that unite their beliefs with instructional practices, this book is recommended for world language educators who wish to gain deeper insight into the lived experiences of today’s language teachers. This compelling text paints an intricate portrait of the daily endeavors of K-12 world language teachers in rural, urban, and suburban settings. Dr. Wesely’s careful analysis of teacher interviews, student interviews, and classroom observations offers one of the most comprehensive pictures of the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and their instructional practices. Current and aspiring teachers can delve into these rich case studies, reflecting upon the work in which world language teachers engage, to enhance their own classroom practices.