The Impact of Study Abroad on the Professional Lives of World Language Teachers

Abstract: This article adds to the limited body of research on study abroad for experienced world/foreign language teachers. It describes a 3-week institute sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities that took place in Lyon, France, during summer 2007. The study examines the institute's impact on a wide spectrum of the professional lives of the 30 teacher participants. Following a qualitative research paradigm, the study reports on the teachers' perspectives of further development of their proficiency in French and the expansion of their knowledge of cultural products, practices, and perspectives of France and Lyon. The study describes the curricular and instructional changes teachers made due to their participation and reports on the impact of the institute on their professional lives outside the classroom. Key words: culture, professional development, study abroad, teacher beliefs, teachers Teaching is our nation's most valuable profession (The Teaching Commission, 2004), and teachers are professionals. As is true for any professional, regardless of the number of years in the field, teachers must continue to deepen their knowledge and develop their skills. Although there exists an extensive body of literature on professional development for teachers in general, there is a woeful paucity of research on continuing education that is developed specifically for world/foreign language (WL) teachers. Yet it is beyond dispute that, in addition to opportunities to grow in the craft of teaching, WL teachers need continued opportunities to refresh and perfect their language proficiency and to intensify and update their cultural knowledge. The curricular emphasis on student language performance, as suggested by the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (National Standards, 1999, 2006) and the ACTFL Performance Guidelines for K-12 Learners (ACTFL, 1998), requires WL teachers to maintain a high level of language proficiency. Moreover, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (http://www.nbpts.org) recognizes accomplished WL teachers as those who are highly proficient in the language they teach and who understand the relationship between language and culture. However, when WL teachers' use of the target language is restricted to the classroom, ''[they] fail to receive the stimulation of carrying out tasks and discussing the adult topics and content that define performances at Advanced and Superior levels of proficiency (ACTFL scale)'' (Phillips, 1991, p. 2). It is commonly accepted that in order to develop language proficiency at the Advanced and Superior levels, living and/or studying in a country in which the language is spoken is essential. Programs for WL teachers that take place abroad can be found through an electronic search, but the outcomes of the programs are rarely examined and published. It would be useful for WL teachers themselves, WL teacher educators, and study abroad program designers to understand the impact of study abroad on teachers' language proficiency. It would be valuable as well to understand the ways in which the experience impacts other aspects of WL teachers' professional lives. For example, as a result of participating in a study abroad program, do WL teachers make modifications to their curricula? Do they change their instructional practices? Are they inspired to pursue other avenues of professional development? Do they become more active in local and national professional organizations? This article describes a 3-week institute sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) that took place in Lyon, France, during summer 2007. It examines the institute's impact on a wide spectrum of the professional lives of the teacher participants and focuses on the questions raised in the paragraph above as well as on the participants' perceptions of their growth in language proficiency and cultural knowledge. The article aims to: * raise awareness of the multiple benefits of study abroad for experienced teachers, * encourage WL teachers to pursue professional development abroad, * provide information about the NEH Lyon program for possible replication elsewhere, and * inspire WL university faculty to design study abroad programs and to facilitate WL teachers' participation in them. …