Determinant Factors in Effective Teaching and Learning (original) (raw)
The field of foreign language teaching is increasingly informed by research on the determinant factors in second language acquisition (SLA) (Shrum & Glisan, 2010). Understanding how languages are learned or acquired is the foundation for pedagogic recommendations and assists teachers in developing their lesson plans accordingly (Ellis, 1990). Some studies have demonstrated that there is a discrepancy between teachers’ practices and effective teaching methods proposed by researchers. In other words, it appears that academic research has little effect on teachers’ behavior inside their classrooms (Freeman, 1989). To resolve the discord between academic research and teachers’ practices, Farrel (2012) advocates reflective language teaching. He encourages teachers to be self-reflective, identify problems, develop action research projects, and use the results of their action projects to make informed instructional decisions. The purpose of this mixed method study was to reveal the elements of an action research project that affected Dari and Pashto language acquisition in six-eight week intensive courses at a Language Resource Center (LRC) at a public university in Southern California. Students entered the program with no prior knowledge of Dari and Pashto and completed the program with a Novice High or above level of proficiency. The researcher collected data over a period of three months. He reviewed students’ responses to an online survey, gathered their test scores and class works, and interviewed seven of them. He further interviewed four teachers and conducted four formal classroom observation and frequent 3-minute walkthrough classroom observations. The data was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings were triangulated to validate what the teachers and program supervisor believed were the determinate factors of instructional improvement at the LRC. This paper will provide insight on the elements that affect teaching and learning of Dari and Pashto in an intensive program and encourage teachers to be self-reflective, conduct action research projects, and make informed decisions about their methods of teaching.
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