Differences Between Novice, Intermediate, and Expert Teacher-Facilitators of Short-Term Language Study Abroad

As the popularity of short-term teacher-facilitated language study abroad (SA) programs grows, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how classroom language-teaching methods can best be adapted to meet learners’ overseas needs. However, adapting one’s methods places high cognitive demands on teachers who may already be overburdened with the challenges of planning and organizing SA. The purpose of this study is to compare the experiences of novice, intermediate, and experienced teachers as they plan and facilitate short-term language SA in order to identify how their perceptions of effective practices differ and how newer facilitators can be best be helped. The results of a thematic narrative analysis of interviews with 21 participants point to three implications: providing more worked examples and macrostrategies for novice teachers; encouraging novice and intermediate teachers to rely on paid services; and collaborating with extensive social networks to reduce the individual teacher’s cognitive load.