Abstract:
This article reports on a comparative study that aims to understand the differences in beliefs and reported practices of two experienced teachers of Spanish in secondary schools in New Zealand. Taking a contextual approach (Barcelos, 2003)the paper assumes that beliefs are socially constructed, embedded in their context(s), and dynamic. Drawing from data from semi-structured interviews, this paper describes the beliefs and the reported practices of one teacher who is a native speaker of Spanish (NS) and a non-native speaker teacher (NNS). The interviews gave the teachers opportunities to present their views on language learning and language teaching, the teaching of grammar and the contextual factors that influence their planning and teaching practices. The analysis of the teachers’ responses indicate that the teachers’ beliefs and their reported practices are informed by a combination of their experiences and the academic context of the schools they teach in, and do not respond to differences in their language background. Research into teachers’ beliefs can enhance our understanding of instruction, and provide the basis of effective teacher development practices.
