Amazing Discoveries

by Gloria Amodeo

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When I began teaching, all my efforts were concentrated on "the art of teaching", or curriculum delivery. My main focus was centred on "how" to teach a particular French language structure or skill. Throughout the years, I consistently searched out and experimented with new teaching strategies in the attempt to improve my teaching practice and my students' learning. Like many other F.S.L. teachers, I quickly adopted teaching approaches as they emerged, (the new structural, audio-lingual, communicat ive, and immersion). As I began my M.Ed. studies at Queen's three years ago (and after many years of teaching), I discovered that I was still asking myself a familiar question: How can I improve my teaching and the quality of my students' learning? A more perplexing question surfaced at this time: Why had I not found the answer after sixteen years of teaching? During an extensive literature research on second-language acquisition theory and research I discovered a partial explanation as to why F.S.L. teachers continue to search for answers to the same perplexing questions: How do students learn a second-language? What is the best teaching approach? I learned that the "experts", the leading second-language theorists and researchers, propose conflicting views on second-language acquisition. Further, very little research has been conducted on second-language learning to date. The results of studies which have been carried out are, for the most part, inconclusive. The main problem with the experts research to date is that most studies have been targeted on one particular aspect of the learning process. Such isolated studies do not reflect the multi-dimensional process of second-language learning and offer little help to the practising teacher.

It appeared to me that research conducted in the classroom by the teacher, or "Action Research", would perhaps produce more conclusive results. I decided that by doing Action Research in my own classroom, I would develop a prototype of effective communicative teaching and assessment strategies of oral communicative competence as my thesis project.

Confident that my research was well planned for my thesis, I enrolled in Tom Russell's course, The Improvement of Teaching, as my seventh M.Ed. course. Alas, this course provided a venue for another amazing discovery, one which will have a significant impact on my proposed thesis research. As Tom outlined the process for the Action Research Project, I realized that I had previously overlooked one important element. I understood and fully subscribed to the concept of a systematic inquiry by the teacher in to his/her own teaching practice. I also understood the value of reflection on one's practice as an effective aide to search for alternate answers and/or knowledge. My original thesis research plan included analysis of the students' reflective diaries as well as of my own reflective journal. It was not until I began my Action Research Project during Tom Russell's class that I discovered the key to Action Research success.

Due to a change in my assignment this fall, I did not have an Immersion Class in which to conduct Action Research for Tom's course. Therefore, I began my Action Research Project in a team-teaching situation with one of my colleagues.

During the first two weeks, we struggled with concerns about expressing openly how we felt about the experience. Then suddenly, individual concerns became unimportant as we discovered that we both had the same goal: to improve the students' learning in "our class". Our shared goal became our focus and the subject of our discussions. Although the project is not yet completed, we both realize we have learned much more about effective teaching than if we had each relied solely on our own knowledge, experie nce and reflection. The collaboration with another teacher sparked the creation of new and better ideas for both of us. We have discovered that by sharing our ideas and observation of the class, and by working together to develop more effective teaching strategies, we are achieving more success in the classroom.

In addition to the positive effect on our teaching and the students' learning, our collaboration has had a profound effect on our professional relationship. Through this process, we have been transformed from two relatively isolated individuals limited to our own teaching experiences to two co-professionals learning through our shared experience. The mutual trust that has developed between us encourages us to explore new ideas, and to risk experimenting with a new strategy or technique. This type of inquiry is, in my view, the most natural route towards increased knowledge for teachers. Through my Action Research Project for Tom Russell's course, I believe I have discovered the key to Action Research success: collaboration with other teachers. I have now added "collaboration with other teachers" to the Action Research I plan to conduct for my thesis project!

Thank you, Tom!