This study examined the teacher education of novice teachers of English to speakers of other languages (ESOL). A survey and followup interviews were employed to investigate novice teachers' perceptions about four aspects of their teacher preparation: (a) degree of preparedness to teach after graduating from a teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) program, (b) preparedness after classroom experience (up to 3 years), (c) sense of efficacy to complete teaching practices in adult ESOL classrooms, and (d) perceptions of what was useful to them in the TESOL program. Accredited ESOL teachers with less than 3 years of experience (N = 115) completed a questionnaire that explored their perceptions of preparedness and efficacy to teach in adult ESOL programs in Ontario, Canada. Eight teachers participated in follow-up semistructured interviews. Findings show that although, overall, novice teachers increased their perceptions of preparedness by gaining experience in the classroom, their sense of efficacy to perform within certain teaching expectations was task specific and highly situated. The practicum and "real" teaching experiences were found to be the most influential aspects of the induction programs. These findings have implications for teacher educators, TESOL institutions, and accreditation bodies that are committed to preparing qualified teachers for adult ESOL programs.

Research investigating incidental vocabulary learning through listening to songs has primarily relied on participant’s self-report surveys on listening behaviors and its relationship with their vocabulary knowledge (Kuppens, 2010). Only one experimental study has investigated vocabulary learning gains from listening to songs (Medina, 1993). From the results, the researcher concluded that learning does occur from listening to songs. However, the learning gains were not provided. The present study investigated incidental learning of three vocabulary knowledge dimensions (spoken-form recognition, form-meaning connection, and collocation recognition) through listening to two songs. The effects of repeated listening to a single song (one, three, or five times) and the relationship between frequency of exposure to the targeted vocabulary items and learning gains were also explored. The results indicated that (a) listening to songs contributed to vocabulary learning, (b) repeated listening had a positive effect on vocabulary gains, and (c) frequency of exposure positively affected learning gains.

No abstract

Research and development in language teacher education and, more recently, teacher accreditation has had enormous impact on the professional lives of ESL teachers in Canada. There has been less interest, however, in examining the ca- reer development and employment experiences of accredited ESL teachers as they transition from TESL programs to ESL classrooms. In this article, we report on a study examining this issue for ESL teachers of adults in Ontario, in which 147 ESL teachers responded to a survey and a select group participated in follow-up interviews. The data were collected for a broader study investigating the link between teacher education and teaching efficacy of novice ESL teachers. Quantita- tive analysis of the survey data revealed the professional backgrounds and career development of recently accredited ESL teachers in Ontario. Qualitative data analysis revealed concerns with employment in the first years of practice. The findings suggested a high risk of attrition for novice ESL teachers and highlighted the impact of current teacher education programs and the professional landscape of ESL teaching on their career development. We discuss the implications of these findings for TESL institutions, accreditation bodies, and ESL teachers.La recherche et le développement visant la formation des enseignants de langue et, plus récemment, l’accréditation des enseignants, ont eu un énorme impact sur la vie professionnelle des enseignants d’ALS au Canada. Toutefois, on a moins porté attention au développement professionnel et aux expériences de travail d’enseignants d’ALS accrédités lors de leur transition des programmes de TESL vers les salles de classe d’ALS. Dans cet article, nous rendons compte d’une étude pendant laquelle 147 enseignants d’ALS aux adultes en Ontario ont répondu à une enquête visant ce sujet et un groupe d’enseignants sélectionnés ont participé à des entrevues de suivi. Les données ont été recueillies pour une étude plus vaste portant sur le lien entre la formation des enseignants et l’efficacité des enseignants d’ALS en début de carrière. Une analyse quantitative des données de l’enquête a fait ressortir le développement et les antécédents professionnels d’enseignants d’ALS récemment accrédités en Ontario. L’analyse a également révélé des préoc- cupations quant à l’emploi pendant les premières années de pratique. Les résultats indiquent un risque élevé d’attrition chez les enseignants débutants et soulignent l’impact des programmes actuels de formation des enseignants et du milieu pro- fessionnel de l’enseignement de l’ALS sur le développement de leur carrière.

Most English language teachers around the world speak English as an additional language, and their level of English proficiency is often a matter of concern for them and their employers who associate higher levels of language proficiency with more effective teaching skills. To this end, several studies have examined the relationship between language proficiency and teachers’ beliefs about their pedagogical capabilities, commonly known as self-efficacy. While generally studies show a positive relationship between language proficiency and self-perceived teaching ability, findings regarding the strength of the relationship, the role of specific language skills (e.g. speaking, listening), and how they interact with different teaching abilities (e.g. classroom management) are inconsistent. By combining data from 19 studies, this meta-analytic study examined the relationship between language proficiency and teaching self-efficacy and analysed the role of various moderators such as teaching degree, teaching experience, and type of self-efficacy/proficiency measures. Findings reveal a moderate relationship ( r = .37) between language proficiency and teaching self-efficacy, with some moderator variables showing significant differences across correlations. The results indicate that only a small percentage of the variance in self-efficacy can be accounted for by teachers’ language proficiency, suggesting that while language proficiency is important, there is more to self-efficacy than just language proficiency.