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Great Expectations: The TESOL
Practicum as a Professional
Learning Experience
LE VAN CANH
Hanoi University of Languages and International Studies
The practicum as a learning opportunity for prospective teach-
ers of ESL or EFL remains underexplored. Most of the studies
that have been documented in the TESOL practicum literature
were conducted in either North America or a few Asian con-
texts with novice teachers. In this study the author used diaries
by five Vietnamese EFL student teachers as sources of informa-
tion to investigate their experiences during a 6-week practicum
period. Findings show that these student teachers were strongly
inclined toward the cooperating teachers’ models of teaching
rather than attempting to adapt the theories they had been
taught in their practices and reflect critically on the process. The
study has implications for the conduct of the practicum in
Vietnam and possibly other similar contexts.
doi: 10.1002/tesj.103
The TESOL practicum is one of the most important learning
experiences for student teachers (Crookes, 2003; Farrell, 2001,
2008b; K. E. Johnson, 1996b), and therefore it is considered a
compulsory component (Richards & Crookes, 1988), even the most
important component (Farrell, 2007) of many teacher education
programs. Farrell (2008b) states that “the practicum has come to be
recognized as one of the most important aspects of a learner
teacher’s education during their language teaching training
program” (p. 226). Gebhard (2009), drawing on the work of
Richards and Crookes (1988), argues that the goal of the teaching
practicum for preservice teachers includes gaining practical
classroom experience; applying theory and teaching ideas;
learning from observing experienced teachers; expanding


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