Encouraging TAs to Embrace Communicative Language Teaching: An Investigation of Pre-service Training Practices

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven

The article synthesizes research on graduate teaching assistants’ (TAs) growing responsibility for developing undergraduates’ oral proficiency and identifies a gap in evidence about how TAs are prepared before starting foreign-language instruction. It investigates incoming TAs’ perceptions of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) techniques presented at an interdepartmental pre-service orientation at a large Midwestern research university. Using qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with thirteen focus participants, the study compares how novice and experienced TAs were influenced, highlighting CLT elements promoted versus overlooked and offering guidance for maximizing training.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Review of the Literature

Method and Analysis

7 Encouraging TAs to Embrace Communicative Language Teaching: An Investigation of Pre-service Training Practices Paula Garrett-Rucks Georgia State University Kerri McCoy Autrey Mill Middle School Abstract This article begins by synthesizing research findings concerning the increasingly important role graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) play in fostering undergraduate learners’ oral proficiency. Despite this important role, our review of TA training practices in the literature found a lack of research on the preparation TAs receive prior to beginning their foreign language instruction. Accordingly, the present study examines incoming TAs’ perceptions of their command of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) techniques presented at an interdepartmental, pre-service orientation at a large Midwestern research university. Using a qualitative approach, we investigated the unique ways in which this orientation influenced novice and experienced TAs differently in the analysis of thirteen focus participants’ semi-structured interviews. The discussion speaks to the critical elements of the pre-service orientation that appeared to promote TAs’ appropriation of various aspects of CLT as well as the tenets of CLT that remained neglected by the majority of the focus participants. The pedagogical implications address ways to maximize CLT training and extend beyond pre-service TA orientations to K-12 teacher training programs and workshops. Recent studies on the reasons why students pursue world language study repeatedly report learners’ desire to gain proficiency in the language in order to communicate with members of the target culture (Hoyt-Oukada, 2003; Husseinali, 2006; Murphy, Magnan, Back, & Garrett-Rucks, 2009; Ossipov, 2000; Yang, 2003) . Communicative language teaching (CLT) meets the proficiency desires expressed by learners by preparing students for target language (TL) use in real-world situations. However, foreign language (FL) educators who have not been trained in the communicative approach risk using outdated methodologies, reducing the likelihood that their learners will gain a strong sense of oral proficiency. Students who are not satisfied with the outcome of their early FL learning experiences—due to their lack of ability to communicate in the target language—are less likely to continue their FL studies (Murphy et al., 2009) . This is of particular concern given the 2009 Modern Language Association Enrollment Survey that reports that only about 20% of FL 90 Dimension 2013 students in commonly taught languages—Spanish, French, and German—are enrolled in advanced courses at higher education institutions, leaving the vast majority of students enrolled in first-and second-year classes (Furman, Goldberg, & Lusin, 2010) . Graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) play a critical role in encouraging university students to continue their FL studies because universities with graduate degree programs increasingly rely on TAs to teach their introductory FL classes (Kost, 2008) . Despite the important role FL TAs serve as advocates for world language programs, many TAs begin their FL instruction with limited training. With an emphasis on commonly taught languages, TA training reported in the literature typically consists ofa brief pre-service orientation, followed by a semester-long teaching methods course during the TAs’ first-semester of teaching (Kost, 2008). In a study of FL TAs’perceptions oftheir training, Brandl (2000) found that many novice TAs considered fall orientation training programs more beneficial than their methods classes, which he speculated may be due to “the immediate necessity to learn whatever it takes to get ready for their teaching assignments” (p. 366) . Due to scheduling, many TAs start teaching prior to the start oftheir Methods course, subsequently relying solely on the information provided in the pre-service orientation for their first few days of instruction. Regardless of

FAQs

What gap in the literature does the study address?

Research reviews found limited study of how teaching assistants are prepared before beginning foreign language instruction, especially regarding which parts of pre-service orientation encourage adoption of CLT practices.

How does the study examine TA perceptions of CLT?

It uses a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with thirteen focus participants, analyzing how the orientation shaped novice and experienced TAs differently.

What training outcomes does the discussion focus on?

The discussion identifies CLT aspects that participants appeared to adopt and CLT tenets that remained neglected, leading to pedagogical implications for improving CLT training beyond the pre-service orientation.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jiven