A Case Study: Implementation of EPOSTL in Teaching Practice for

Foreign Language Activities

Takenori YAMAMOTO

EPOSTL Conference 18 February, 2014 at European Centre for Modern Languages

Background

1992~

2000~

2011~

2020~

Pilot Study

Educational Area (Selective)

Educational Area (Compulsory)

Compulsory Subject

History of Foreign Language Activities

21 National Universities (in 2010) and more

Adaptation of EPOSTL

EPOSTL J-POSTLJACET SIG (2010)

Adaption of J-POSTL to Foreign Language Activities

Purpose

to adapt/implement EPOSTL (J-POSTL) into Foreign Language Activities !

to find out the participants’ learning during teaching practice

Questions to be solved

• Which J-POSTL descriptors are appropriate for Foreign Language Activities?

!

• How do the selected descriptors effect student teachers’ learning in teacher education for Foreign Language Activities?

Design

Selecting descriptors from J-POSLT through

discussion

Conducting survey in order

to check appropriateness

of selected descriptors

Implementing descriptors &

conducting interview

Selecting descriptors from J-POSLT through

discussion

•Changing words (students→pupils)

•Discussion “Which descriptors are needed especially for teachers of Foreign Language Activities?” by two graduate students and the researcher

Conducting survey in order

to check appropriateness

of selected descriptors

•Survey 1 “not appropriate” ~

4 “very appropriate” !Subjects two elementary school teachers two university teachers !one sample t-test H0: μ=3

Implementing descriptors &

conducting interview

•Implementing&interview During teaching practice

Before teaching practice

understanding descriptors 1st evaluation

!During teaching practice

2nd evaluation interview

!After teaching practice

3rd evaluation interview

Implementing descriptors &

conducting interview

!Interview !

“What did you do in teaching practice?”

“Why did your evaluation change?”

“How do you think about using descriptors?”

Results

Selecting descriptors from J-POSLT through discussion

47 descriptors were selected •I can understand the personal, intellectual and cultural value of learning other languages

•I can locate and select listening and reading materials appropriate for the needs of my learners from a variety of sources, such as literature, mass media and the Internet

Selecting descriptors from J-POSLT through discussion

continued... •I can plan lessons and periods of teaching with other teachers and/or student teachers (team teaching, with other subject teachers etc.)

•I can decide when it is appropriate to use the target language and when not to.

Selecting descriptors from J-POSLT through discussion

Removed descriptors… •I can evaluate and select texts in a variety of text types to function as good examples for the learner’s writing

•I can recommend dictionaries and other reference books useful for my learners.

Conducting survey in order to check appropriateness of selected descriptors

All 47 descriptors were evaluated as appropriate statistically

Conducting survey in order to check appropriateness of selected descriptors

statistic shows... •25 descriptors were significantly evaluated as “appropriate”.

•10 descriptors were evaluated as “appropriate” (SD=0)

•12 descriptors’ effect size showed that these descriptors were “appropriate”

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Transcription of interview (student B) •A lot of the evaluation (of the descriptors) become lower because I felt I lost confidence (through teaching practice). I could not do what I wanted to do. I could not use any skills and knowledge I learnt in university

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Transcription of interview (student B) •I felt confused with the difference between what I learnt in university and what I am learning during teaching practice. For example, university teachers taught me to do classes only in English. But my mentor told me choose English or Japanese based on pupils’ comprehension.

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Transcription of interview (student A) •I think that the evaluation of some descriptors went up because I could do them in my first lesson. Additionally, I failed to do some descriptors before, but I reflected my failure on my lesson plan. So now I feel “I can do them”

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Transcription of interview (student A) •There are some descriptors which do not relate to my experience in teaching practice. But I think it is very good for me. I can tell clearly what I know from what I don’t know. Then I want to learn what I don’t know through university lectures or research studies.

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

finding gaps of experience at

school and uni

finding connections of experience at

school and uni

finding skills/knowledge

students don’t know

enhancing further learning

strengthening confidence

needs for new learning at uni

Implementing descriptors & conducting interview

requiring a lot of time to understand & evaluate

descriptors

Discussion

Questions to be solved• Which J-POSTL descriptors are appropriate

for Foreign Language Activities?

• How do selected descriptors effect students’ learning in teacher education for Foreign Language Activities?

Questions to be solved• Which J-POSTL descriptors are appropriate

for Foreign Language Activities?

47 descriptors from J-POSTL

Questions to be solved• How do selected descriptors effect students’

learning in teacher education for Foreign Language Activities?

further learning

confidence

new learning at uni

Development as teachers of Foreign

Language Activities

Research during the whole period of pre-service teacher education

Research with large number of participants & different universities

Thank you