| The problem. This study investigates the relationship between English language teachers' personal practical knowledge, the application of discipline-specific knowledge to the activity of teaching, and the sociocultural context of language teaching institutions.; Method. This ethnographic case study examined the culture of a university-based Intensive English Program through in-depth interviews of participants, classroom and informal observations, and the implementation of a Teacher Study Group. The five participants of the study were the faculty of a university-based Intensive English Program.; Results. Through the teacher interviews and the Teacher Study Group participants articulated their belief systems about language teaching. Their professional lives are represented in narrative format as they reflect on issues related to their teaching.; Data from the interviews was further presented in thematic form, capturing the teachers' beliefs in the areas of learning to teach, the activity of teaching, and the sociocultural context in which they work.; In the area of learning to teach, the participants discussed their perceptions of their formal teacher training, community learning, experiential learning, and professional development. Regarding the activity of teaching, they articulated beliefs on lesson plans, textbooks, and rationale for instructional decisions. Addressing the sociocultural context, the participants addressed acculturating to the Ocean View ESL program, the role of culture in their teaching, professional tensions, and their image of themselves as teachers.; Finally, data from the Teacher Study Group sessions is thematically presented, evidencing the participants' contributions to programmatic development, their capacity for collegial learning, and their views on a variety of classroom management and methodological topics.; This study highlights the ability of classroom teachers to articulate their beliefs on theoretical, pedagogical, and personal issues. It demonstrates the complexity of the insights they bring to their professional lives. It is important for the field of second language teaching to acknowledge and draw upon this richness in teacher preparation programs and in building strong communities of teaching and learning. |
