Reflective Language Teaching

Reflective Writing for Language Teachers explores the impact of regular writing as a reflective tool for teachers of English as a second language, other language teachers, and classroom English or language arts teachers.

Offering a unique, data-led, evidence-based approach to reflective practice in English language teaching, this book brings together theory, research and practice in an accessible way to demonstrate what reflective practice looks like and how it is undertaken in a range of contexts. Readers learn how to do and to research reflective practice in their own settings. Through the use of data, dialogue and appropriate tools, the authors show how reflective practice can be used as an ongoing teaching tool that supports professional self-development.

This Element examines the concept of reflective practice in language teaching. It includes a brief description of what reflective practice is and how it is operationalized by two of its main protagonists, John Dewey and Donald Schön, as well as some of the limitations of their conceptions. This is used as an introduction to how the author further developed their conceptions when operationalizing reflective practice for language teachers through a five-stage framework for reflecting on practice for language teachers. The author then presents an in-depth case study of the reflections of an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher working in Costa Rica as he moved through the five stages of the framework for reflecting on practice. The author then goes on to outline and discuss how reflective practice may be moved forward and calls attention to the importance of emotions in the process of reflection for language teachers.

This text introduces teachers to techniques for exploring their own classroom experiences. The paperback edition introduces teachers to techniques for exploring their own classroom experiences. Numerous books deal with classroom observation and research, but this is the first to offer a carefully structured approach to self-observation and self-evaluation. Richards and Lockhart aim to develop a reflective approach to teaching, one in which teachers collect data about their own teaching; examine their attitudes, beliefs, and assumptions; and use the information they obtain as a basis for critical reflection on teaching practices. The approach is not linked to a particular method, but rather can be applied to a variety of methodologies and teaching situations. Each chapter includes questions and activities appropriate for group discussion or self-study.

This practical and engaging book introduces readers to reflective practice in English language teaching. Assuming no background knowledge, Thomas S. C. Farrell clearly and accessibly walks through ways that teachers can integrate and implement reflective practice in the classroom and in other contexts to benefit their teaching and their own professional development. Each chapter covers an important dimension of reflective practice and features many ready-to-use activities that are designed to empower teachers and allow them to overcome challenges they’ll face throughout their careers. Covering many types of reflection and the many purposes it serves, this book addresses written reflection, lesson planning, classroom observation, classroom management, group communication and more. This resource is ideal for preservice and early career language teachers and is an important supplement to courses in language education and applied linguistics programs.

Reflective Dialogue presents professional educators with the necessary background and skills to engage in reflective dialogue with language learners effectively. It draws on work in the fields of advising in language learning, reflective practice, sociocultural theory, language learner autonomy, counseling, and life coaching to provide both an introduction to the field and guidance for researching advising in action. The book also includes a wide variety of practical ideas and over 30 sample dialogues that offer clear demonstrations of the concepts discussed in practice. This dynamic textbook’s practical approach illustrates how reflective dialogue can promote language learner autonomy and how language advising can be implemented successfully both inside and outside the classroom.

The need for ongoing teacher development has been a recurring theme in the field of TESOL in recent years. Not everything a language teacher needs to know can be provided at the pre-service level, and the knowledge base of teaching is constantly changing. Based on cutting-edge research illustrated through case studies, this book outlines strategies for professional development through reflective practice in the language classroom. Accessible and comprehensive, the book presupposes no prior knowledge of linguistics or language teaching, and each chapter includes reflective discussion questions to help the reader apply the strategies and procedures discussed. This book will be invaluable to postgraduate students of TESOL and applied linguistics, and in-service language teachers.

The concept of reflective practice has proliferated over the last few decades in many professions such as medicine, law, business and education. Within the field of education reflective practice has become a very popular concept within teacher education and development programs and perhaps its main appeal according to Loughran (2000: 33) is that it 'rings true for most people as something useful' to practice. Indeed as McLaughlin (1999:9) has remarked, 'Who would want to champion the unreflective practitioner?' The general consensus is that teachers who are encouraged to engage in reflective practice can gain new insight of their practice. There have been similar developments in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) where the allure of reflective practice seems to have also been embraced as an important educational paradigm that should be supported in teacher education and development programs. This book is the first in a new series consisting of several practical oriented books that introduce cutting-edge research and practical applications of that research related to reflective practice in language education. Written by the series editor, it acts an introduction to the series and outlines and discusses the concept of reflective practice in general, the various models and approaches to reflective practice and gives guidance on cultivating reflective practice.