Changing values: what use are theories of language learning and teaching (original) (raw)

Language Teaching and Researching: Principled Practice or Webs of Beliefs

The topic of student beliefs and perceptions has been the subject of significant research. However, there has been less attention to the important topic of teacher and researcher beliefs, perhaps due to practical and ethical problems involved in researching these beliefs and the efficacy of the language teachers and researchers who hold them. This study therefore attempts to describe the 'webs of beliefs' that determine the thoughts and actions of human beings in general and discusses how teacher-held webs of beliefs can affect the learning environment of their students and how researcher-held beliefs can affect the objectivity of their findings. The relationship between beliefs and actions is not always straightforward however, and the second focus of attention is on the conscious and unconscious gaps between beliefs, teaching theory, and classroom practice which can occur, despite the fact that courses on teaching philosophy, psychology and methodology are standard in teacher training institutions. In conclusion, it is suggested that teachers need to be aware of their own webs of beliefs and the 'dispositions' of their students and that ELT researchers need to clearly state their philosophical standpoint before presenting research findings, so that the reader might be informed of their webs of beliefs and make appropriate conclusions.

Change in Beliefs on Language Learning of BA Students in Language Teaching

This paper analyzes changes in students' beliefs on language learning in a Mexican public university BA in Language Teaching. The study monitors the beliefs held by students in an initial stage, when they enter the educational program to the final stage of a four-year program, by implementing the instrument BALLI (Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory), developed by Horwitz (1985, 1987, and 1988). Although considerable amount of research has been conducted about language learners and language teachers' beliefs, there are few studies that monitor the changes in beliefs over a longer period of time. Moreover, the results of current studies in the ESL (English as a Second Language) or EFL (English as a Foreign Language) field are rather inconclusive in the sense that some of them report beliefs in language learning, which have not been modified substantially in pre-service language teachers (Peacock, 2001), while others suggest the contrary (e.g. Debreli, 2012). The authors of the present article describe the beliefs of a selected group of students from a 2009-2 cohort reporting changes over the four year period in the following thematic lines: difficulty of the language, foreign language aptitude, nature of language learning, learning and communication strategies, and motivations and expectations. The authors argue that beliefs play a central role in the process of pre-service teacher development as they anticipate changes in teacher's practices. The study´s theoretical and pedagogical implications for the educational program are also discussed in this paper. Keywords beliefs on language learning, ELF teacher beliefs, BALLI, changes in beliefs, BA in language teaching Introduction This investigative project on students' beliefs on language learning circumscribes into mayor national project that searched for factors effecting terminal efficiency of BA language teaching majors from the cohort 2009-2 in 22 Mexican public universities (Tapia, 2009) Besides following the academic trajectory of selected students and describing indicators traditionally associated with academic success, the project focused on factors that are perhaps less visible, but nonetheless important in formation of future language teachers, that is the beliefs they hold towards language learning and language teaching. Our

Language Teaching Beliefs, Problems and Solutions: Reflecting and Growing Together

dbe.metu.edu

Taking the principles of reflective practice and teacher cognition as a starting point, this paper will present the findings related to the beliefs, perceived problems and suggested solutions emerging from an action research study involving three university English Language Teaching (ELT) instructors seeking ways to improve their practice using peer observation and reflective journals.

ESL Teachers as Theory Makers: A Discourse Analysis of Student Assignments in a Second Language Acquisition Course

—Second Language Acquisition (SLA) knowledge is necessary in order to increase the likelihood that teachers will engage in sound practices. The purpose of this study was to discursively examine the evolving SLA knowledge as part of living educational theories in course assignments of 29 teachers in an SLA theory class. This study offers several valuable additional insights about teachers living educational theories of SLA. Specifically, preservice teachers exhibited more willingness to change their practice in the future than inservice teachers, yet preservice teachers still expressed both a confirmation of original beliefs and personal validation for extant beliefs.

Changes in Beliefs about Language Learning and Teaching by Foreign Language Teachers in an Applied Linguistics Course

2015

This article presents the results of a study on the language learning and teaching beliefs of graduate students enrolled in an applied linguistics course in a language teaching program. Ten participants completed a questionnaire at the start of the course and another at the end; their responses were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Following the course, changes were identified in the participants’ beliefs about the difficulty of learning a second language and their goals for their future students.

Beliefs about Language Teaching and Learning. Different Contexts and Perspectives.

2013

Beliefs about language teaching and learning have been conceptualized as powerful influences in the way teachers conduct every aspect of their work as well as, in the ways students approach their learning. In addition, new developments in this field have emerged with a more sociocultural and complex approach to beliefs in which the intrincate relationship between teacher and learner’s identity, emotions and cognition are present. The book offers: • Findings related to the Mexican and Brazilian contexts, as well as English as a Lingua Franca. • Perspectives from different points of view which include language ideologies and representations. • Implications for language teaching and learning that provides the link from the differet context and perspectives. • A review of studies in this area and their methodology which concludes whit suggestions for further research. The book aims to be a useful resource for language teachers, teacher educators, researchers and students who are interested in new contributions to beliefs.

Zhang, T.F. (2012). The beliefs practicum students bring to their classes regarding language teaching. Asian Journal of Literature, Culture and Society, 6(1), 42-76.

In the literature of teacher belief, it assumes that 1) teachers' beliefs are critical in their impact on their teaching practices and professional development; 2) Changes in teachers' behaviours, actions and practices stem from changes in teachers' beliefs; 3) understanding how teachers' beliefs construct or reshape as they learn to teach is essential to inform and strengthen teacher education programs. Under these assumptions, rather in ELT field in Thailand, there has been a great likelihood of student teachers receiving training in their teaching practicum. Importantly, general or specific beliefs have largely dawned when training through ELT teacher education program. They bring those conscious or unconscious beliefs about language learning and teaching to their practicum classes. This study endeavourers to investigate beliefs about language teaching of ELT student teachers at the Assumption University of Thailand over the postgraduate teacher education program in the ELT field with a focus on their Teaching Practicum. It employed both of quantitative and qualitative instruments for data collection. All relevant data were collected and analysed from four sources: a questionnaire, the interviews, classroom observations and teaching journals. This study found that student teachers hold extensive beliefs about language teaching, importantly those beliefs can be either reinforced or changed by the language teacher education program. A number of contextual constraints within the relationship between student teachers' beliefs and their practices were identified and discussed. This study would do its share for a better understanding of what extent student teachers' beliefs lead to good teachers and inspiring the ELT educators to pay close attention to students' beliefs and curriculum construction.

EFL student teachers’ beliefs and the effect of a second language acquisition course

2010

The present study regards beliefs about language learning held by Greek university students who were also prospective teachers of English. Answers to a questionnaire administered in the beginning and at the end of a course about how languages are learned indicate that students changed views in the desired direction. Yet this change was not dramatic and did not concern all of the 'erroneous' beliefs.