This open access book argues that language teacher agency is not simply a matter of individual choice, but is also shaped by the complex social, political and educational contexts in which language teachers work. It provides a framework for understanding the complexities of language teacher agency in a wide range of language. It offers practical advice on how to support language teachers in developing and enhancing their agency towards social, cultural, political and linguistic discourses and practices that have an impact on language teachers’ efficacy, intentionality, self-reflectiveness and identity. Through a wide range of methodological approaches such as (duo)ethnographic work, pedagogical interventions, narrative case studies, dialogic approaches and curriculum innovations, this book critically examines the individual and collective efforts of languages teachers as they build and exercise their agentic capacity within and across the contextual conditions in which they are situated.Part I considers the socio-cultural and socio-political factors which facilitate, or interfere with, the exercise of teacher agency in language classrooms, and the ways language teachers can exercise their agency to design locally relevant pedagogies. Part II examines the structural, systemic, ideological and pedagogical transformations needed in order for language teachers to be empowered to displace dominant pedagogies with more socially-just pedagogies to meet the needs of diverse students and of the curriculum. Finally, Part III looks at what dialogic practices can assist language teachers in mitigating dominant discourses and structural procedures, as well as what professional support is needed to assist language teachers in developing a sense of agency.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the University of New England, Australia; University of Melbourne, Australia; and Monash University, Australia.

This book examines a range of complex issues concerning the professional experience (i.e., practicum) in English language teacher education with regard to curriculum design and implementation, as well as professional learning. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective, it explores the context of the professional experience, preservice teachers as learners of English language teaching, and the activity of learning to teach English language in connection with interrelated contextual and personal issues: contextual issues such as policies, curricula, university-school partnerships, and mentoring relations are investigated in relation to personal issues such as the beliefs, expectations, prior educational experiences, previous teaching experiences, and cultural-linguistic backgrounds of preservice teachers. In turn, the book addresses professional learning issues, including professional identity development, emotional experiences, and pedagogical learning, in depth. The book delves into the qualitative “fine-grained” aspects of the professional experience while also making valuable conceptual contributions through a sociocultural analysis of the professional learning experience, which can also be applied to research in other teacher education contexts. The findings presented here hold practical implications for English language teacher education in terms of developing a knowledge base for English language teaching and an effective model of professional experience to prepare English language teachers for working in today’s expanded, diverse and dynamic neoliberal contexts.

This book examines a range of complex issues concerning the professional experience (i.e., practicum) in English language teacher education with regard to curriculum design and implementation, as well as professional learning. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective, it explores the context of the professional experience, preservice teachers as learners of English language teaching, and the activity of learning to teach English language in connection with interrelated contextual and personal issues: contextual issues such as policies, curricula, university-school partnerships, and mentoring relations are investigated in relation to personal issues such as the beliefs, expectations, prior educational experiences, previous teaching experiences, and cultural-linguistic backgrounds of preservice teachers. In turn, the book addresses professional learning issues, including professional identity development, emotional experiences, and pedagogical learning, in depth. The book delves into the qualitative “fine-grained” aspects of the professional experience while also making valuable conceptual contributions through a sociocultural analysis of the professional learning experience, which can also be applied to research in other teacher education contexts. The findings presented here hold practical implications for English language teacher education in terms of developing a knowledge base for English language teaching and an effective model of professional experience to prepare English language teachers for working in today’s expanded, diverse and dynamic neoliberal contexts.

This open access book argues that language teacher agency is not simply a matter of individual choice, but is also shaped by the complex social, political and educational contexts in which language teachers work. It provides a framework for understanding the complexities of language teacher agency in a wide range of language. It offers practical advice on how to support language teachers in developing and enhancing their agency towards social, cultural, political and linguistic discourses and practices that have an impact on language teachers’ efficacy, intentionality, self-reflectiveness and identity. Through a wide range of methodological approaches such as (duo)ethnographic work, pedagogical interventions, narrative case studies, dialogic approaches and curriculum innovations, this book critically examines the individual and collective efforts of languages teachers as they build and exercise their agentic capacity within and across the contextual conditions in which they are situated.Part I considers the socio-cultural and socio-political factors which facilitate, or interfere with, the exercise of teacher agency in language classrooms, and the ways language teachers can exercise their agency to design locally relevant pedagogies. Part II examines the structural, systemic, ideological and pedagogical transformations needed in order for language teachers to be empowered to displace dominant pedagogies with more socially-just pedagogies to meet the needs of diverse students and of the curriculum. Finally, Part III looks at what dialogic practices can assist language teachers in mitigating dominant discourses and structural procedures, as well as what professional support is needed to assist language teachers in developing a sense of agency.The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the University of New England, Australia; University of Melbourne, Australia; and Monash University, Australia.

This book examines a range of complex issues concerning the professional experience (i.e., practicum) in English language teacher education with regard to curriculum design and implementation, as well as professional learning. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective, it explores the context of the professional experience, preservice teachers as learners of English language teaching, and the activity of learning to teach English language in connection with interrelated contextual and personal issues: contextual issues such as policies, curricula, university-school partnerships, and mentoring relations are investigated in relation to personal issues such as the beliefs, expectations, prior educational experiences, previous teaching experiences, and cultural-linguistic backgrounds of preservice teachers. In turn, the book addresses professional learning issues, including professional identity development, emotional experiences, and pedagogical learning, in depth. The book delves into the qualitative “fine-grained” aspects of the professional experience while also making valuable conceptual contributions through a sociocultural analysis of the professional learning experience, which can also be applied to research in other teacher education contexts. The findings presented here hold practical implications for English language teacher education in terms of developing a knowledge base for English language teaching and an effective model of professional experience to prepare English language teachers for working in today’s expanded, diverse and dynamic neoliberal contexts.

This book examines a range of complex issues concerning the professional experience (i.e., practicum) in English language teacher education with regard to curriculum design and implementation, as well as professional learning. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective, it explores the context of the professional experience, preservice teachers as learners of English language teaching, and the activity of learning to teach English language in connection with interrelated contextual and personal issues: contextual issues such as policies, curricula, university-school partnerships, and mentoring relations are investigated in relation to personal issues such as the beliefs, expectations, prior educational experiences, previous teaching experiences, and cultural-linguistic backgrounds of preservice teachers. In turn, the book addresses professional learning issues, including professional identity development, emotional experiences, and pedagogical learning, in depth. The book delves into the qualitative “fine-grained” aspects of the professional experience while also making valuable conceptual contributions through a sociocultural analysis of the professional learning experience, which can also be applied to research in other teacher education contexts. The findings presented here hold practical implications for English language teacher education in terms of developing a knowledge base for English language teaching and an effective model of professional experience to prepare English language teachers for working in today’s expanded, diverse and dynamic neoliberal contexts.