Corpus disciplinae? Toward a critical prognosis for contemporary language teacher preparation

Abstract:

At the outset, I should clarify what I intend to discuss, lest someone accuse me ala Mark Twain of exaggerating the demise of United States foreign language teacher education. I do not claim that language teacher education has, or will, cease to exist. It certainly would not be too far-fetched to explore such a possibility, however, especially given an educational programming climate that relies on the same logic to make decisions as do the makers of leaf blowers, pet rocks, and reality television shows, namely what the market will bear. It is also possible to see the nation’s preoccupation in all fields with standards and standardized tests to be a reincarnated teacher-proof attempt at engineering a curriculum. Nonetheless, I believe that language teaching, and thus language teacher education, will persevere. Yet I contend that a significant pathology continues to plague the profession, and suspect that the end of the matter could be death. Dead means, among other things, not having significance or relevance, being stagnant or unresponsive, lacking sensitivity, or having no resonance. It is in this sense that I suggest that contemporary language teacher education is on a collision course with reality that will likely result in its death. The convergence of developments in the fields is resulting, I contend, in the exacerbation of divisions among components in the preparation of teachers and the realities within the language teaching field. Specifically, I will examine selected epistemological underpinnings that currently shape language teacher education practice, the limited role of critical reflection in foreign language teacher education, and the related dilemmas …

Año de publicación:

2003

Keywords:

Fuente:

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