Performance criteria for the foreign language teacher

Technical report: Summary:The performance criteria which are enumerated and briefly discussed in this booklet represent an attempt by foreign language teachers trained in the Stanford Teacher Education Program "to describe the essential features of the performance of the good and experienced language teacher." They are intended to be of use as a series of tentative hypotheses for further research, a guide to evaluation of teacher performance, and an instrument for teacher training. The teachers involved in the development of this booklet (the majority of whom are teaching the first or second levels in an audio-lingual approach to language instruction) have identified 11 general types of classroom activity: audio-lingual activity, presentation of basic material, teaching of structure, teaching of pronunciation, teaching of sound-letter correspondence, teaching of reading, teaching of culture, using visual aids, use of electronic equipment, making homework assignments, and testing. Each of these has been defined more completely in terms of a variety of specific and observable behaviors which are presented in both outline and discussion form. Included is a sample evaluation sheet based on the criteria. The booklet is part 3 of a syllabus being developed for the training of language teachers in applied linguistics, language review, and performance criteria. (Author/ES)