Exploring Foreign Language Pre-service teacher Beliefs: An International Exchange Experience

Authors

  • Laura Levi Altstaedter Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, East Carolina University
  • Marina Falasca Universidad Tecnológica Nacional I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas “Juan Ramón Fernández"

Keywords:

International Consortium, Educational Abroad, Korea

Abstract

This article explores the beliefs of two groups of students who teach and learn foreign languages at two major universities in Argentina and the USA. Specifically, it discusses how their prior beliefs and experiences shaped their teaching selves, and assesses the extent to which an international exchange experience about perceptions of foreign language teaching impacted their current beliefs. It is our contention that beliefs are "deeply personal and rooted in the culture and norms held by individuals and society" (Tatto & Coupland, 2003). However, this study has shown that pre-service teacher beliefs were fairly similar across languages and cultures. The article concludes with a set of practical implications for teacher education programs.

Author Biographies

Laura Levi Altstaedter, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, East Carolina University

(Ph.D., M.A., Virginia Tech; MA.Ed., Wake Forest University) Currently, she is Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies,  Coordinator of the Foreign Language Teacher Education Program, and Coordinator of the Certificate in Translation at East Carolina University. She has published articles on foreign language pedagogy in Argentina and the U.S.

Marina Falasca, Universidad Tecnológica Nacional I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas “Juan Ramón Fernández"

(M.A., Virginia Tech; M.Ed., South Dakota State University) Currently, she is instructor of TEFL Methods and related courses at Universidad Tecnologica Nacional and I.E.S. en Lenguas Vivas “Juan Ramón Fernández". She has published articles on foreign language pedagogy in Argentina, Australia, and the U.S.

Published

2015-06-26

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2015)

Section

Volume 4

The Global Partners in Education Journal (the “Publisher”) and the Author(s) agree as follows:

1. Author(s) hereby grant to Publisher all right, title, and interest in and to the Work, including copyright to all means of expression by any method now known or hereafter developed, including electronic format. If Publisher does not publish the Work within two (2) years of the Effective Date, copyright shall revert back to the Author. Publisher agrees to always credit Author(s) as the author(s) of the Work.

2. Publisher hereby grants Author a royalty-free, limited license for the following purposes, provided the Work is always identified as having first been published by Publisher.
    • The right to make and distribute copies of all or part of the Work for use in teaching;
    • The right to use all or part of the material contained in the Work in a book by the Author(s), or in a collection of the Author(s)’s work;
    • The right to use and distribute the Work internally at the Author(s)’s place of employment, and for promotion and any other non-commercial purposes;
    • The right to use figures and tables from the Work for any purpose;
    • The right to make presentations of material from the Work;
    • The right to use and distribute the Work on the Author(s)’s Web site and on the Author(s)’s university’s institute repository;
Such license shall be effective when the Work is first published in the Journal of Curriculum and Instruction.

3. The Author(s) represents and warrants that the Work: (a) is the Author(s)’s original work and that Author(s) has full power to enter into this agreement; (b) does not infringe the copyright or property right of another; (c) contains no materials which is obscene, libelous, defamatory or violates another’s civil right, right of privacy, or is otherwise unlawful; and (d) has not been previously published, in whole or in part. Author(s) shall indemnify and hold Publisher harmless against loss or expenses arising from breach of any such warranties.