Written by Betsy Gilliland, PhD (SLS Associate Professor)
The teaching practicum is a common feature of language teacher education programs, and the Department of Second Language Studies has been a leader in running practicums and conducting research on them for a long time (see Richards & Crookes, 1988, for an early perspective on the TESOL practicum). In general, a language teaching practicum gives teacher learners the opportunity to put into practice the concepts they have been studying academically in their coursework. Usual features of a teaching practicum include supervised teaching practice, guided reflection on practice, observation of peer teacher learners and other teachers, and being observed by supervisors. The SLS 690 practicum includes all of those, plus a feature intended to give teacher learners even greater learning opportunity: a location away from familiar settings, where they can extend their teaching repertoire beyond their previous accomplishments.