ERIC Number: EJ1328971
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Mar
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1745-4999
EISSN: N/A
Enhancing Foreign Language Teacher Candidates' Oral Proficiency: An International Comparison
Kissau, Scott; Davin, Kristin J.; Wang, Chuang; Haudeck, Helga
Research in Comparative and International Education, v17 n1 p124-142 Mar 2022
Despite the importance of advanced language proficiency when teaching a foreign language, little research has investigated the oral proficiency of aspiring foreign language teachers across multiple countries and what their teacher training programs do to enhance it. In response, the researchers collected and analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data from foreign language teacher candidates in Germany, China, and the United States. Results suggested that oral proficiency varies significantly both within individual teacher training programs and across nations. The teacher candidates from Germany demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency in the target language than their Chinese counterparts, who in turn, demonstrated significantly greater oral proficiency than the US teacher candidates. Helping to explain these findings, the data suggested that foreign language teacher training programs have differing areas of focus. While the programs in Germany and China focused more attention on language development, the US program emphasized pedagogical skills. Implications for practice are discussed.
Descriptors: Language Teachers, Language Proficiency, Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Teacher Education Programs, Teaching Skills, Cross Cultural Studies, Oral Language, Comparative Education, Foreign Countries
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany; China; United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A