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The Professional Development of Foreign Language Instructors in Postsecondary Education

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Second and Foreign Language Education

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Language and Education ((ELE))

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Abstract

This review traces developments in the preparation of foreign language instructors in postsecondary education from the post-World War II period to the present. It highlights the increasing systematization of TA professional development programs starting in the 1960s and the influence of proficiency standards and the emergence of the fields of second language acquisition and applied linguistics in the 1980s. The formalization of the role of the Language Program Director in the 1980s and the articulation of standards for this position are also discussed. The review also brings to light revised models of TA professional development in foreign language education proposed in the 1990s that are informed by applied linguistics, literacy, and other theoretical discourses. Trends in the late 1990s such as a focus on the professional development of lecturers are also discussed. The impact of the 2007 MLA report, Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World, and the implications of that report for TA professional development are featured. The review also discusses recent changes in TA professional development such as the emergence of certificates in foreign language teaching. Challenges in TA professional development, in particular the limitation of time devoted to professional development in the graduate curriculum and the resulting difficulty in incorporating the full range of theoretical discourses into TA professional development, are also discussed. Areas for future research, including an analysis of the current content of TA professional development courses and the impact of certificate programs on hiring are also presented.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) Teaching and Resource Center, University of California, Berkeley, 301 Sproul Hall – 5900, 94720-5900, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Linda von Hoene

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  1. Linda von Hoene
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Correspondence to Linda von Hoene .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Language Study, Yale University, New Haven, USA

    Nelleke Van Deusen-Scholl

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, School of Critic, Auckland, New Zealand

    Stephen May

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von Hoene, L. (2016). The Professional Development of Foreign Language Instructors in Postsecondary Education. In: Van Deusen-Scholl, N., May, S. (eds) Second and Foreign Language Education. Encyclopedia of Language and Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02323-6_29-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-02323-6_29-1

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