Our next exciting HL2C/SLLAT seminar will take place on Wednesday 4th May 2022, from 12 noon to 1pm (Dublin, Edinburgh, Lisbon, London).
Presenters:
Title:
Modelling plurilithic orientations to English with trainee teachers: A comparative international study
How to join:
Our seminars are free to attend. Simply sign up to the HL2C Mailing List to receive the link to join us via Microsoft Teams link. You do not need a Teams account to access the talk.
Abstract:
A major challenge in TESOL is how to address the learning needs of diverse global learners in a world where monolithic beliefs about English are still deeply entrenched. This study explored the extent to which such beliefs can be challenged in teacher education programmes using practitioner role models. In particular, we examined the role of ‘peerness’ in role models, i.e. whether or not they are demographically close to the student teachers they are expected to inspire. Accordingly, video clips featuring young, early-career English teachers from Germany and China modelling a ‘plurilithic’ orientation to the language were played to MA TESOL students in Germany, Austria, China, the UK, and Spain. The teachers from Germany and China were ‘near peers’ for the German L1 students and Mandarin L1 students respectively. The teachers from China also served as ‘more distant peers’ for students in the UK and Spain with other L1s. Survey and interview data indicated that viewing the role models was associated with increases in plurilithic orientation, and that the effect was greater for near peers than for more distant peers. We take these results as support for the use of near peer video modelling to promote ontological clarity about English in trainee teachers.