Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond The Language-Literature Divide: Advanced Pedagogy For Training Graduate Students, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

In this article, my objectives are 1) to discuss current practices and challenges related to the professional development of graduate students in foreign language departments as teachers; and 2) to provide a rationale for and description of a graduate seminar that serves to prepare future professors to develop students' analytical, critical, and argumentative capacities in the advanced undergraduate curriculum. It is my hope to encourage further discussion of integrative approaches to teaching foreign language at all levels by providing a concrete example of how graduate student professional development can include issues of language in advanced courses. A one-semester advanced foreign …

In Search Of Relevance: The Role Of The Standards In The Undergraduate Foreign Language Curriculum, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

Beyond the Standards' influence on K-12 language education policy and continued discussions of their relevance and application to FL instruction and assessment, in university-level FL departments the tangible impacts of the Standards in shaping curriculum and classroom instruction have not been wide-ranging. This chapter identifies and discusses three factors that have contributed to the reception of the Standards in higher education in general terms and, more specifically, in terms of the advanced undergraduate FL curriculum. Based on the discussion of these three factors, I respond to the question of whether the Standards provide a framework adequate in addressing the critical …

Advanced Literacy: An Integrated Approach To The Grammar & Composition Course, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

Promoting Pedagogical Expertise In Foreign Language Graduate Students, Heather W. Allen, Eduardo Negueruela

Heather Willis Allen

Based on the Sociocultural Theory of Mind (Vygotsky 2004) this qualitative study explores the development of novice TAs’ cognition in relation to FL teaching and applies dynamic assessment procedures (Sternberg and Grigorenko 2002, Lantolf and Poehner 2004) to the concrete practices of teacher education and supervision. The following questions frame the study: 1) Do novice TAs apply pedagogical knowledge from coursework on FL teaching to their own classroom practices and, if so, how? and 2) How can teacher supervision and specifically the use of dynamic assessment assist in the development of principled practice based on pedagogical content knowledge and not …

From The Foreign Language Classroom Into The Target Culture: Analyzing The Shift In Language Learning Activity, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

Foreign language (FL) learning in the study abroad context is a complex and profoundly interpersonal activity, involving far more than individual learning. Many assume immersion experiences and associated opportunities for sustained interactions with members of the target culture lead to enhanced FL abilities (Allen & Herron, 2003; Freed, 1995), greater understanding of the “other” and more positive attitudes toward the target culture (Stephenson, 1999). But how do learners negotiate the shift in FL learning activity as their role changes from classroom students to members of a new community? The goal of this study is to explore the complexities of the …

Teacher Self-Efficacy Of Graduate Teaching Assistants Of French, Heather W. Allen, Nicole A. Mills

Heather Willis Allen

No abstract provided.

A Mixed-Methodology Investigation Of The Linguistic And Affective Outcomes Of Summer Study Abroad, Heather W. Allen, Carol Herron

Heather Willis Allen

The purpose of this study was to investigate linguistic and affective outcomes of summer study abroad participation by 25 college French students. The investigation sought to determine if significant changes occurred in two linguistic factors, oral and listening French skills, and two affective factors, integrative motivation and language anxiety, after study abroad.

Does Study Abroad Make A Difference? An Investigation Of Linguistic And Motivational Outcomes, Heather W. Allen

Heather Willis Allen

Investigated linguistic and affective outcomes of summer study abroad participation by 25 college French students. Sought to determine if significant changes occurred in two linguistic factors--oral and listening French skills--and two affective factors--integrative motivation and language anxiety after study abroad.