How foreign language teachers get taught methods of teaching the methods course /

by (Marcia Lynn), 1958- Wilbur

The focus of this dissertation study is the methodological formation of pre-service secondary foreign language teachers during 32 college or university teacher training programs across the U.S. For the purpose of this study, foreign languages include all foreign and second languages except English. A review of the literature which examines new teacher preparation, a review of second language acquisition theories, and an examination of the social, cognitive, and affective elements related to second language teaching and learning, serve to frame the context of the preservice program. The study of post-secondary foreign language methods training was achieved through the lens of the syllabus for each of the participating courses, survey data from the related methods instructors and questionnaires from ten of the post-secondary methods instructors. The goal of the study was to unveil the content of foreign language methodological programs which, to date, remains unexamined in the professional literature. The findings indicate that pre-service foreign language methodological training, while based on common beliefs that theory informs practice and that the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century should frame instruction and assessment, is accomplished in a great variety of ways. Most significantly, there appears to be a great array of content delivery methodologies presented across the syllabi in this study, yet because the number of courses which address meeting the needs of diverse learners is low, it becomes apparent that pre-service teachers may not be connecting an eclectic blend of instructional practices to learner needs. Second, there is evidence that the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century are recognized in theory as important to instruction, but not yet fully integrated into teaching practices nor into how pre-service teachers are assessed in their methods courses.