{"title":"Core practices for Foreign Language Teacher professional development: An identity journey","authors":"Anamaría Sagre, Jose David Herazo, Ibeth Morales","doi":"10.1111/flan.70025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Practice-based education offers a straightforward and engaging didactic cycle for teacher preparation around core practices. Although research on this area has clearly shown the importance of linking theory to practice during actual teaching, very little to none seem to have addressed how core practices of language teaching may become a site for preservice teachers' identity building. This case study described how Adriana reshaped her teacher identity as she appropriated the core-practice of contextualization for instruction and tried to improve her teaching based on it. Findings indicate that learning to contextualize is far from a linear process of acquiring a skill or a set of predefined instructional procedures. Instead, it is an intricate and iterative dialogue between emerging teacher identity and the understanding of pedagogies, theories, and classroom realities. This study study extends our current understanding of the value of a practice-based approach for leveraging preservice language teachers' construction of their teacher identities as they journey through the challenges of ambitious teaching in the foreign language classroom.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"123-140"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Erik Voss, Kim Sallee, Young-A Son, Margaret E. Malone, Camelot Marshall, Celia Chomon-Zamora
{"title":"An automated scoring system for the AAPPL Spanish presentational writing tasks","authors":"Erik Voss, Kim Sallee, Young-A Son, Margaret E. Malone, Camelot Marshall, Celia Chomon-Zamora","doi":"10.1111/flan.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reliable rating of large-scale writing tests is a challenging venture. Preparing, calibrating, and providing quality assurance for effective and efficient raters is critical to the operation of these tests (Hughes, 2003). To address this challenge, testing organizations have employed different approaches to automated scoring using artificial intelligence (AI). Claims about automated scoring of such large-scale writing tests suggest that they are as or more reliable than human raters. However, there is limited research on the implementation of automated scoring for tests of writing in languages other than English. This paper describes research on the development and evaluation of an automated scoring system for a large-scale Spanish language writing test for middle and high school students. The model, consistent with the philosophy behind the test development and scoring system, focuses primarily on the features examinees can do and produce rather than a subtractive model that places more focus on examinees' mistakes. The system was trained on completed operational responses and with ratings from certified human raters. Natural Language Processing techniques were used to identify specific linguistic features. Results show equal or better agreement between machine–human scores than between two human raters.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"63-81"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"AI literacy: A core practice in world language education","authors":"Xinyue Lu, Anna Zaitseva, Francis John Troyan","doi":"10.1111/flan.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) innovations like ChatGPT presents new opportunities and challenges for world languages (WL) education. WL teacher education programs must prepare preservice teachers with <i>AI literacy</i> to help them effectively integrate these technologies into teaching. This multiple case study—part of our on-going self-study of teacher educator practice—investigated how AI literacy can be leveraged as a <i>core practice</i> in a WL teacher licensure program. Drawing on pre-surveys, course artifacts, structured reflections, and interviews, the study explored how three teacher candidates (TCs) engaged with Generative AI (chatbots) in the instructional activity of lesson planning and developed emergent forms of AI literacy. Participants demonstrated varying levels of development of AI literacy across four domains: technological proficiency, pedagogical compatibility, professional work, and ethical use. They developed critical stances toward AI, which were shaped by their evolving professional identities. This study contributes to growing conversations about AI in teacher education by showing the potential of the <i>AI literacy</i> core practice as a scaffolded, reflective approach to building AI competencies. It also underscores the importance of centering TC's professional identity development in AI integration while providing support for prompt design, noninstructional use of AI, and facilitating conversations about responsible AI use with students.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"9-33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bridging the research-practice divide: Insights from a Korean online Community of Practice","authors":"Nari Kim","doi":"10.1111/flan.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study introduces the case of a Korean online Community of Practice (CoP) as a venue for researcher-practitioner dialogue, following persistent calls from instructed second language acquisition researchers to foster links between research and practice. Given the neglected role of teachers in bridging the gap between research and practice in prior research, this study utilizes a netnographic approach to explore interactions among L2 teachers within an online CoP for in-service teachers. The study (1) explores how an online CoP can support connecting research and practice and (2) identifies which teachers have the potential to serve as brokers between research and practice. The findings highlight the importance of a bottom-up approach based on teachers’ voluntary participation and teachers' trust within the teacher community. Further, disseminating research results through in-service teachers with firsthand classroom experience was effective. Pedagogical implications highlight the importance of teacher testimonies and recommend that professional development actively leverage teacher brokers' expertise in translating scholarly research into actionable classroom strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"214-235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Bridging the research-practice divide: Insights from a Korean online Community of Practice","authors":"Nari Kim","doi":"10.1111/flan.70023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study introduces the case of a Korean online Community of Practice (CoP) as a venue for researcher-practitioner dialogue, following persistent calls from instructed second language acquisition researchers to foster links between research and practice. Given the neglected role of teachers in bridging the gap between research and practice in prior research, this study utilizes a netnographic approach to explore interactions among L2 teachers within an online CoP for in-service teachers. The study (1) explores how an online CoP can support connecting research and practice and (2) identifies which teachers have the potential to serve as brokers between research and practice. The findings highlight the importance of a bottom-up approach based on teachers’ voluntary participation and teachers' trust within the teacher community. Further, disseminating research results through in-service teachers with firsthand classroom experience was effective. Pedagogical implications highlight the importance of teacher testimonies and recommend that professional development actively leverage teacher brokers' expertise in translating scholarly research into actionable classroom strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"214-235"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Erik Voss, Kim Sallee, Young-A Son, Margaret E. Malone, Camelot Marshall, Celia Chomon-Zamora
{"title":"An automated scoring system for the AAPPL Spanish presentational writing tasks","authors":"Erik Voss, Kim Sallee, Young-A Son, Margaret E. Malone, Camelot Marshall, Celia Chomon-Zamora","doi":"10.1111/flan.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reliable rating of large-scale writing tests is a challenging venture. Preparing, calibrating, and providing quality assurance for effective and efficient raters is critical to the operation of these tests (Hughes, 2003). To address this challenge, testing organizations have employed different approaches to automated scoring using artificial intelligence (AI). Claims about automated scoring of such large-scale writing tests suggest that they are as or more reliable than human raters. However, there is limited research on the implementation of automated scoring for tests of writing in languages other than English. This paper describes research on the development and evaluation of an automated scoring system for a large-scale Spanish language writing test for middle and high school students. The model, consistent with the philosophy behind the test development and scoring system, focuses primarily on the features examinees can do and produce rather than a subtractive model that places more focus on examinees' mistakes. The system was trained on completed operational responses and with ratings from certified human raters. Natural Language Processing techniques were used to identify specific linguistic features. Results show equal or better agreement between machine–human scores than between two human raters.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"63-81"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Motivation for learning Chinese compared to European languages: An exploration in English secondary schools","authors":"Robert Woore, Laura Molway, Clare Savory","doi":"10.1111/flan.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is little published research on school-aged learners of Mandarin Chinese in anglophone contexts. This article explores English secondary school pupils' motivation for learning Chinese compared to European languages. The research questions were: (1) What is the strength and nature of pupils' self-reported motivation for learning languages? (2) How does pupils' motivation for learning Chinese compare with their motivation for learning European languages? Focus groups were conducted with 43 pupils (aged 11–12) in their first year at five state-funded secondary schools. In all languages, culture and a desire to connect with speakers were strong motivators; classroom experiences were also key, underlining teachers' central role. Motivation for Chinese was frequently linked to novelty, difference, challenge, and enjoyment of the character-based writing system. The article highlights practical classroom implications, particularly the need for teachers to consider the motivational impact of pedagogical decisions relating to curriculum content, task design, and classroom organization.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"278-300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Novice Mandarin learners' transformative learning through critical virtual exchange: A multimodal, translanguaging design","authors":"Liling Huang, Erin Kearney","doi":"10.1111/flan.70034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70034","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A key goal in world language education is decentering learners' assumptions about cultures. However, many teaching models, including virtual exchange (VE), equate culture with nation-states and promote target-language-only policies, which can reinforce stereotypes and limit culture exploration for beginners. The study investigates the transformative learning (TL) impact of a critical VE that connected learners from two novice Mandarin courses in the United States with individuals from diverse Chinese communities. Participants engaged in hometown conversations using full linguistic repertoires and a multimodal map. Data from 16 participants—including surveys, journals, meetings, digital stories, and interviews with 5 focal participants—were analyzed. Findings revealed key TL outcome of critical assessment of assumptions. Multimodal conversation analysis of meeting episodes showed that learners strategically drew on a wide range of linguistic and multimodal resources for meaning negotiation, interaction management, and co-construction of local culture knowledge. Translanguaging served as both a scaffold and a decolonizing act, fostering equitable transcultural learning. A pedagogical model is proposed, highlighting multiperspective dialogues, guided reflections, and translanguaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"141-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A teacher educator's return to P-12 world language teaching: Transforming practices, perspectives, and identities","authors":"Beth Wassell","doi":"10.1111/flan.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>After working at a university as a language teacher educator for 20 years, I returned to the P-12 setting to coteach an inclusive high school Spanish class. The purpose of this return was to <i>relearn to teach</i> and to better understand current challenges in language education, student engagement, and inclusive instruction. Using an autoethnographic approach, I examined how the experience reshaped my instructional practices, my perspectives on pedagogical content knowledge, and my language teacher educator identity. The findings highlight tensions of translating theoretical and research-based approaches to classroom realities, challenges in maintaining a teacher educator identity in a P-12 context, and the importance of student voice in shaping pedagogy. By examining the contradictions between language teacher identity and language teacher educator identity, this autoethnography contributes to the discourse on language teacher preparation and reflective practice. The conclusion underscores the benefits of returning to a P-12 context for teacher educators and postsecondary language instructors, with implications for professional development and for language teacher education.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"103-122"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147563570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Motivation for learning Chinese compared to European languages: An exploration in English secondary schools","authors":"Robert Woore, Laura Molway, Clare Savory","doi":"10.1111/flan.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is little published research on school-aged learners of Mandarin Chinese in anglophone contexts. This article explores English secondary school pupils' motivation for learning Chinese compared to European languages. The research questions were: (1) What is the strength and nature of pupils' self-reported motivation for learning languages? (2) How does pupils' motivation for learning Chinese compare with their motivation for learning European languages? Focus groups were conducted with 43 pupils (aged 11–12) in their first year at five state-funded secondary schools. In all languages, culture and a desire to connect with speakers were strong motivators; classroom experiences were also key, underlining teachers' central role. Motivation for Chinese was frequently linked to novelty, difference, challenge, and enjoyment of the character-based writing system. The article highlights practical classroom implications, particularly the need for teachers to consider the motivational impact of pedagogical decisions relating to curriculum content, task design, and classroom organization.</p>","PeriodicalId":47560,"journal":{"name":"Foreign Language Annals","volume":"59 1","pages":"278-300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/flan.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147570102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}