How Far Is Georgia?: New Jersey's Teachers of Italian Evaluate Their Preparation.

Abstract: This study examined the professional preparation of Italian teachers in New Jersey through the lens of Cooper's (2004) investigation in Georgia, which determined how K-12 foreign language teachers perceived and evaluated the effectiveness of their professional preparation. Unfortunately, however, that report did not have an Italian representation. In view of the undeniable presence of Italian in New Jersey, this replicate study attempts to ascertain the degree to which the perceptions and evaluations of teachers of Italian in New Jersey were similar to those of foreign language teachers in Georgia and to determine if there were specific findings that could be considered distinctive to Italian programs. The present study had 37 participants, all current teachers of Italian, 75% of whom had received certification in New Jersey. The survey they completed was based on 40 of the 42 questions asked to foreign language teachers in Georgia, and included several additional items such as level taught, second field certification, and place of certification. The quantitative findings for Italian teachers in New Jersey and foreign language teachers in Georgia were consistent in terms of participants' evaluation of teacher education programs and their teaching competencies. Additionally, in their responses to the open-ended questions, participants echoed many of the observations about foreign language teacher education programs outlined by Cooper (2004). However, Italian teachers in New Jersey also expressed concern about the following specific aspects of teacher preparation: (1) observe Italian classes, (2) work with mentors who help "fill-the-gaps" left by the programs, (3) participate in intensive language programs and methodology workshops (offered by some out-of-state programs), (4) participate in and network at conferences and in-service workshops, and (5) become members of relevant associations. Key words: teacher perceptions, pre-service teachers, teacher training, teacher education programs, methods courses Language: Italian, relevant to all languages Introduction The purpose of this article is to determine how Italian teachers' evaluation of their professional preparation compares to those of their foreign language counterparts. The present investigation, initiated in response to research conducted in the state of Georgia that did not have an Italian representation (Cooper, 2004), begins with data on the teaching of Italian in New Jersey. I then review recent publications in foreign language teacher training and highlight similar studies specific to Italian. In the Method section, I present the procedures, respondents, and data analysis of the survey findings. In Results, Comparisons, and Discussions, the quantitative results of this survey as well as the summary of open-ended responses will be presented and compared to those of the Cooper (2004) study. Finally, in Implications for Italian Teacher Education Programs in New Jersey, I recommend a future research agenda to determine the strengths and weakness of Italian teacher education programs, and I propose specific steps for improving them. Italian as a Microcosm of Foreign Languages In New Jersey, la bella lingua is a staple of daily life, of American cultural history and, consequently, of schools across the Garden State. This ubiquity is due in large part to the social characteristics of the state-the population of New Jersey in 2003 consisted of approximately 1.6 million people who are of Italian ancestry (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). Since a criterion for the choice of course offerings is community interest, based on parental input and community heritage (New Jersey Department of Education, 2005, p. 10), and given that this ethnic group is the single largest group in the state (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003), Italian permeates K-8 and high school1 language programs, ranking third in enrollments for each level (New Jersey Department of Education, 2005, pp. …