Abstract:

This study is about a course in teachers ‘pre-service training. As students and instructors engaged in on-line teaching and learning they were faced with many challenges, one of the greatest ones being a lack of direct human contact. Among innovative ways for course delivery the instructor in this study resorted to a counseling approach in her teaching, a concentration on ‘throughput’ (Luhmann, 1985) in supporting students, placing more importance on creativity in assessment and encouraging ‘languaging’ both through private speech, i.e. reflecting and or talking to oneself to sort out understanding, and encouraging collaborative dialogue (Swain, Kinnear and Steinman, 2011). As the course under scrutiny entails second language teacher pedagogical development, aspects related to the use of the second language will also be addressed.

The methodological approach used was qualitative in nature (Creswell, 2008; Guba & Lincoln, 2005; Patton, 2015). It consisted of the analysis of an instructor’s teaching notes and class journal over a semester. Major themes were uncovered during a first reading and subthemes were subsequently entered under these main headings.

Results show a division of labor, as an orientation to action, the production of action and the evaluation of action (Poehner, 2008). The innovations increased student motivation and engagement (Renninger & Hidi, 2016).

Altogether the counseling approach supported students’ well-being, ‘throughput’ and ‘languaging’ allowed for better crystallization of thought, and collaborative dialogue helped create communities of practice (Wenger, 1998; Lave & Wenger, 1991).

Keywords:

Improve learning, innovative ways, increase language use and communication, creativity.