Resumen de Building Communities of Practice for Foreign Language Teachers.
The author of the article discusses her experiences with communities of practice (COPs) for foreign language teachers and her advocacy for the establishment of COPs in schools. The author cites the work of educational theorist Etienne Wenger. The Native Speaker Model (NSM) of teaching in COPs and its predominance in the U.S. is examined including the effect on nonnative teachers who conclude that they are ineligible for COPs. The author argues that COPs contribute to the professional development of teachers, as does teaching higher level classes to help prevent nonnative Spanish teachers from plateauing at a certain level of the language. It is argued that COPs should be created at the preservice level, take into account mutual learning, and include native and nonnative teachers.
