The Beliefs Of International And Domestic Foreign Language Teachers

Abstract

In response to the shortage of foreign language (L2) teachers in the United States, many school districts employ individuals from other countries. Despite the benefits offered by such teachers, there is growing concern that they may not be adequately prepared for teaching in American schools. In this mixed method study involving 222 L2 teachers and their supervisors, the teaching-related beliefs of domestic and international L2 teachers in the United States were compared. Survey results indicated that international L2 teachers hold many of the same core beliefs related to L2 teaching as do their American-born peers. Interview data, however, suggested the existence of differing beliefs among sub-groups of international L2 teachers that often lead to problems with classroom management. These problems seem to be aggravated by the extent of the cultural differences between the L2 teacher’s native land and the country where the instruction is taking place. Recommendations for improvement of practice include having international L2 teachers observe American-born L2 teachers, offering more professional development, and providing greater administrative support.

Keywords

• International
• Domestic
• Foreign
• Language
• administrative
• professional development