Published research
Vyatkina, Nina (2011)
Writing instruction and policies for written corrective feedback in the basic language sequence. L2 Journal 3, 63-92.
Abstract: This study presents results of a May 2009 online survey that asked foreign language program directors at U.S. universities about corrective feedback options their teachers use in response to student writing in beginning and intermediate courses. Survey categories included: 1) general information, 2) general written corrective feedback (WCF) policies, 3) specific WCF types applied at different instruction levels, and 4) open-ended commentaries. Results indicate a number of common tendencies: 1) teachers in most programs provide WCF on multiple drafts of student writing; 2) the number of programs with uniform writing policies has been recently increasing; and 3) written feedback on holistic aspects in addition to surface-level error correction is expanding. The study concludes with suggestions for further research and pedagogical applications.
http://www.escholarship.org/uc/item/6jg9z585#page-1
Allen, Heather & Eduardo Negueruela-Azarola (2010)
Professional development of future professors of foreign languages: Looking back, looking forward
Modern Language Journal 94 (3), 1-19
Abstract: Although the professional development of graduate students in foreign language (FL) departments is of critical importance, discussion of its significance and evolution was all but absent in the 2007 MLA Report “Foreign languages and higher education: New structures for a changed world," a document advocating curricular and structural reforms of FL departments in forthright terms. This lacuna drove the current review, which traces the forms and foci of research appearing from 1987 to 2008 on the professional development of future professors of foreign languages. Although empirical studies on the relation of graduate students' beliefs and identities to their FL teaching experiences integrated increasingly sophisticated research designs and theoretical frameworks over the past two decades, the primary focus of this field remained moving from a training perspective to a professional development perspective and substantiating this change with new practices that address FL graduate students' long-term needs as teachers and scholars. The authors call for a renewed focus on empirical research in this field and a more symbiotic relationship between research investigating the processes and outcomes of FL graduate student professional development and the practices called for in FL departments.
Complete article available on MLJ/Blackwell site
Katz, Stacey and Johanna Watzinger-Tharp (2005)
Toward an Understanding of the Role of Applied Linguists in Foreign Language Departments
Abstract: This article presents an analysis of the results of a survey conducted with foreign language program directors and coordinators in American university foreign language departments. The goal of the survey was twofold. First, it aimed to compile a profile of these individuals: their backgrounds, research, and teaching and coordinating responsibilities. A second objective was to investigate whether the participants consider themselves to be applied linguists. Despite the fact that most participants interviewed are arguably practicing applied linguists, many of them hesitated to identify themselves as such. This ambivalence reflects recent heated discussions about the field of applied linguistics, a debate that was sparked by Firth and Wagner's provocative (1997) article. We call for more voices in this ongoing dialogue. The future of the diverse field of applied linguistics depends upon a variety of perspectives, including more input from applied linguists within foreign language departments.
Complete article available on MLJ/Blackwell site