As language teachers and teacher educators transition into doctoral research and on into full-time academic positions in universities, they begin to encounter research practices and policies associated with neoliberal systems of higher education. These might be quite different from previous research experiences, such as self-initiated…

We report on an action research project aimed at developing oral communication in first-graders, using songs as a strategy for young learners to use and enjoy English. It was developed at a Colombian public school over three months. The teacher-researchers attempted to encourage students using simple and amusing songs to help them learn new…

This paper presents the results of the work of nine teacher researchers who took an in-depth look at instructional practices and beliefs about oral language and its assessment. There are three sets of research questions: (1) How do teachers and students believe oral instruction should be handled in the classroom and to what extent do the beliefs…