Page 152 - LA ENSEÑANZA APRENDIZAJE DE LENGUAS

LA ENSEÑANZA APRENDIZAJE DE LENGUAS:
152 UNA MIRADA DESDE EL SURESTE MEXICANO

Theoretical Background
Recent studies regarding professional development in initial teacher education highlight the

significance of student teaching in teacher education programs (Cody, 2010; Merc 2010).

Practicum components such as service learning provide learners with opportunities to ob-

tain workplace experience, to develop their knowledge, awareness and skills (KAS), and to

develop employability skills which will increase future job opportunities, However, follow-up

studies conducted by our academic body ‘Professional Development and Assessment in Lan-

guage Teaching’ (‘Desarrollo Profesional y Evaluación en la Enseñanza de Lenguas´) at the Tuxtla

Language School in Chiapas, Mexico from 2005 – 2012, have provided evidence that a great

number of student teachers feel that they have not been adequately prepared by the teacher
education programme to meet the requirements of teaching in real classroom environments.

Service learners have commented that they sometimes feel frustrated, discouraged and unable

to cope with the challenges which they face throughout the service learning component of

their teacher education programme.

Problems identified during the service learning at the Tuxtla Language Faculty from 2005 –

2010 include: difficulties with classroom management, dealing with individual learner differen-

ces, dealing with unmotivated learners, the lack of teaching resources, and adapting to school
cultures (Diaz de la Garza and Serrano Vila, 2010). All of these issues shape PSTs’ emerging

identity construction.

Becoming a second language teacher involves the development of a professional identity

as well as the construction of a specific self–image (Feiman-Nemser, 2003). This varies from

individual to individual depending on personal characteristics .as well as access to social and

material resources. Teacher identity is frequently referred to as a continuous complex process

which is influenced by social, affective, and cognitive factors (Korthagen, 2004; Schön, 1983).

Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas