Bridging instructional gaps in preparing to teach millennial language learners

Abstract

The United States Department of State issued a call for the need for "highly qualified" foreign/world language teachers in "critical need languages." Three languages that fall into this category are Arabic, Chinese, and Russian. In response to this call our teacher education program has actively sought ways to comply by providing multiple pathways and opportunities to fill the paucity of teachers in these three languages. This paper is the third study conducted at our university examining carefully structured learning sequences including face-to-face and online blended communities of practice that provide critical methodological training in transitioning teachers to learner-centered instruction for today's millennial learners. This study addressed the needs of 20 critical need language teacher participants in helping them bridge instructional gaps in preparing to teach millennial learners. Results indicated that teachers' notions about teaching were greatly influenced by their own cultural and experiential backgrounds. © 2012 ACADEMY PUBLISHER Manufactured in Finland.