Language Teacher Preparation in a Pandemic: An International Comparison of Responses to COVID-19

ABSTRACT

The unprecedented challenges posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic risked seriously disrupting the continuous supply and preparation of new teachers that are desperately needed to fill world language teacher vacancies. To better understand how world language teacher preparation programs around the globe supported aspiring teachers in the successful completion of their teacher training, the researchers conducted a case study that investigated how world language teacher preparation programs on three different continents responded to the global pandemic. Results suggested that the programs were not equally prepared to navigate the pandemic and had similar, yet different responses to it. Contextual factors, such as national wealth, the prevalence of online instruction pre-pandemic, and the shortage of world language teachers influenced both program preparedness and the accommodations offered to teacher candidates. The results of the study should be considered when developing contingency plans to address future disruptions to program delivery and speak to the need for additional research investigating the impact of COVID-19 on teacher candidate performance and the performance of their future K-12 students.