The Teaching-Research Nexus: A Comparative Analysis and Suggestions for Foreign Language Teachers
Ruth Roux
Abstract
Teacher research is gathering impetus in foreign language education in México, particularly in public universities. Teachers who used to rely on pedagogical recommendations are now basing their decisions on empirical evidence about what their learners actually do with the language they are learning.For this trend to continue, teachers need to be aware of the complexities of the teaching-research nexus and the conditions that strengthen it. This paper presents a historical overview of the way in which the teaching-research nexus has been investigated in the United States and México in general and in the field of foreign language education in particular. It also discusses the nature of teacher-research and its benefits in terms of independent professional development. Finally, the paper describes a set of prerequisites for teachers to productively combine teaching and research activities in foreign language education.
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