Teaching a foreign language: one teacher's practical theory

Abstract

In recent decades, teachers of second languages in many countries, including Australia, have been encouraged to use an approach known as Communicative Language Teaching (CLT). This approach advocates the development of communicative competence as a primary goal through the extensive use of the second language as a means of communication during classroom lessons. Understandably, education authorities and teacher educators are keen to know what teachers understand by CLT and how well they have incorporated this approach into their second language teaching. This exploratory study seeks to answer these questions in respect of one teacher, who claims to use a CLT approach. This is done by documenting her personal practical theory of CLT, using a framework adapted from a well-known approach to describing models of teaching. Access to the teacher's practical theory was gained through indepth, semi-structured interviews and stimulated recall interviews involving use of videotapes of two of the teacher's lessons. The study establishes that the teacher's practical theory is an amalgam of many features of CLT approaches and of general teaching. The CLT components of the teacher's practical theory are largely consistent with features commonly listed in texts about CLT approaches, though there are some components of her theory that are not generally discussed in the CLT literature. The framework used in this study for representing the teacher's practical theories of CLT is also assessed and considered suitable for wider use.

Trends in qualitative research in language teaching since 2000

“…Miller & Aldred 2000;Mangubhai et al 2004Mangubhai et al , 2005Nazari 2007). The contradictory results of research on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) and teacher stereotypes are thought-provoking.…”

First additional language teaching in selected grade 4 – 6 classes in Western Cape urban schools: The case of Afrikaans

“…The mixed methods approach adopted in this study aimed to investigate teacher understanding of Afrikaans FAL and their classroom practice in this regard. Like in a similar study conducted by Mangubhai et al (2004), this research was used to source FAL teachers' knowledge of language policies and methods and how these different kinds of knowledge influence the teachers' choice of methods and classroom practice. Mangubhai et al (2004) state that what teachers do in classrooms is guided by the practical knowledge that they have built up largely through experience in classrooms.…”

“…Like in a similar study conducted by Mangubhai et al (2004), this research was used to source FAL teachers' knowledge of language policies and methods and how these different kinds of knowledge influence the teachers' choice of methods and classroom practice. Mangubhai et al (2004) state that what teachers do in classrooms is guided by the practical knowledge that they have built up largely through experience in classrooms. Because practical knowledge is a product of a natural tendency in human beings to try to make sense of the contexts in which they work and live and is used to build framework for guiding action therein, it can also take on the form of practical theory (2004: 293).…”

On the Relationship between Iranian L2 Teachers’ Pedagogical Beliefs and L2 Learners’ Attitudes

“…Over the past 30 years, research has suggested that teachers' beliefs heavily influence their pedagogical practice (e.g., Borg, 2003;Mangubhai et al, 2004;Ng & Farrell, 2003), their instructional decisions in the classroom (Tillema, 2000), and acceptance and uptake of new approaches, techniques and activities (Donaghue, 2003).…”