Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices in Grade 3 English Classes in the United States and Costa Rica

• In Event: Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: Comparisons of Teacher Literacy Knowledge and Practice in the United States and Abroad

Abstract

We compared third grade teachers’ pedagogical practices during English language classes in an English-as-second language setting in the United States (n = 20) and an English-as-foreign-language (EFL) setting in Costa Rica (n = 24). Using a low-inference observation instrument, we observed that (a) teachers in the United States spent a larger percentage of time teaching English; (b) teachers in both settings allotted more time in cognitively demanding subject matter; (c) more receptive language communication modes and teacher-talk occurred in the Costa Rica EFL setting; (d) classroom activity structures were more aligned with language-related tasks in United States classrooms than were they in Costa Rica; and (e) students’ use of language mirrored their teachers’ language of instruction in both settings.

Authors

• Beverly J. Irby, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Rafael Lara-Alecio, Texas A&M University

• Fuhui Tong, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Yinan Fan, Texas A&M University

• Cindy Lynn Guerrero, Texas A&M University