In this article, we treat language teacher identity as foundational to educational practice and see Foucault's (1983, 1997) notion of ethical self-formation, and its adoption in teacher education research by Clarke (2008, 2009, 2010), as providing a potential vehicle for understanding the development of teacher agency and critical identity work.…

This article lays out the proposition that the rapid changes in 21st-century society, in which multilingualism is the norm, have presented new challenges, questions, and resources with regard to the roles, tasks, and contributions of language teachers. In line with recent research developments and in keeping with tradition, we believe it helpful…

Proposes a discourse-based approach to analysis of coherence in the teaching philosophies of language instructors. Background is provided by the reflective practice model, which highlights social ontology and personal appropriation of foreign language teaching expertise. An exploratory study confirms the utility of examining conceptual metaphors…

Research on second/foreign language teacher impressions, reflections, and beliefs continues to illuminate various facets of language teacher knowledge and practice, but it has only recently begun to question the relationship between these teacher characteristics and actual classroom discourse. This collaborative case study undertaken by a…

Argues that student teacher portfolios are a viable, effective, appropriate tool for documenting teacher growth and development and for promoting reflective practice. Traces the unique paths of two pre-service foreign language teachers who constructed a professional identity from the historical and cultural conditions of their classroom…

The dominant approach to second language (L2) teacher education emphasizes reflection as a tool for helping teachers develop context-specific, personal theories of L2 teaching. Educators can facilitate reflection by involving teachers in action research. This small-scale study investigated whether carrying out action research as part of a graduate…

This longitudinal study focuses on how pedagogical content knowledge is initially represented and changes during the beginning teaching experiences of 9 teachers of French, German, and Spanish. The data consist of reflective journal entries, classroom observations, and focus group interviews collected during the first 2 years of foreign language…