Andrea Mason’s research while affiliated with University of Idaho and other places

To become effective teachers of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), developing an extensive knowledge base about language and about language learning/teaching is essential. In graduate TESOL programs, second language teacher educators often devise authentic teaching opportunities for pre-service teachers (PSTs); however, these teaching experiences tend to occur in the later stages of graduate training. The goal of the present study was to examine the affordances of introducing a planned tutoring program during the first semester of a graduate TESOL program on PSTs' developing knowledge base. During the final weeks of a teaching methodology course, 13 PSTs were each paired with an English as an Additional Language (EAL) learner and enacted teaching in a safe environment while receiving guidance from their instructor. Drawing on Vygotskian-inspired theoretical concepts, a qualitative analysis of the participants' post-teaching reflections and of their portfolio (lesson plans, materials, instructor feedback) revealed how they applied, shaped, and transformed their understanding of pedagogical concepts.

Communicative language teaching (CLT) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context is a dynamic process involving teachers’ perspectives and practices. Although CLT is a widely accepted approach to second language instruction, scholars in the field continue to have a narrow understanding of how teachers conceptualize and implement this approach in various international contexts. The present multiple case study focuses on the interrelationships between in‐service teachers’ beliefs and practices with CLT in an EFL context: rural Ukraine. Ukraine only recently adopted a national CLT curriculum, and how experienced teachers integrate this approach into their current teaching has not been closely examined. To uncover mediating factors that influence their practices, the researchers drew on the approach of language ecology to analyze three experienced teachers’ beliefs and practices. Drawing on multiple data sources (surveys, interviews, and classroom observations), they identified two primary mitigating factors: access and privilege. The study's overall rich description in an asset for the EFL or English as a second language (ESL) professional, but the authors also integrated the findings into two reflective tools to guide teachers in self‐evaluation of their own communicative‐based teaching, their teaching situation, and supplementary training opportunities to enhance their teaching practices.