Spanish students’ perceptions of how they demonstrate their teachers’ positive impact on them to maintain their interest

Comfort Pratt

doi:10.54475/jlt.2024.003

Authors

Comfort Pratt Texas Tech University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54475/jlt.2024.003

Keywords:

discontinuation of the study of Spanish, indicators of students’ continued interest, maintenance of students’ interest in Spanish, Spanish students’ perceptions, Spanish teachers’ positive impact on their students

Abstract

Student attrition rates in K-12 and college Spanish programs in the United States continue to follow a disconcerting trend. While motivational and pedagogical interventions have been investigated, the student–teacher dynamic has not been sufficiently explored as a solution to the problem. A recent study (Pratt, 2023) on Spanish teachers’ perceptions revealed that the indicators of their positive impact on their students to maintain their interest in the language are students’ interest, motivations, feedback, teacher–student relationships, and engagement in classroom activities and academic success. This follow-up study ascertained what the students themselves believe they do to demonstrate their teachers’ positive impact on them to maintain their interest. An online survey was administered to one hundred and one middle school, high school, and lower-level college Spanish students, and the findings revealed that the indicators are: (1) participate in class, do their work, ask more questions, and smile; (2) tell teachers when they are doing a good job; (3) show teachers respect and listen to them; (4) work beyond the requirements; (5) thank teachers and give them gifts; (6) do nothing; (7) talk to teachers often; (8) take more classes with teachers; and (9) rate teachers high in course evaluations. The role of these findings in the execution of effective counteractions to the problem cannot be underestimated.

Author Biography

Comfort Pratt, Texas Tech University

Dr. Comfort Pratt received her Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree in Spanish and French with a minor in Linguistics at the University of Ghana, a Graduate Certificate in Translation at Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, a Master of Arts Degree in Modern Languages at Texas A&M University, and a Ph.D. in Romance Linguistics and French at Louisiana State University. She is currently an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Texas Tech University. Her areas of specialization include foreign language education, second language acquisition, bilingual education, and sociolinguistics. She is the author of El español del noroeste de Luisiana: Pervivencia de un dialecto amenazado (2004), and In-Class Communicative Projects (2008). Her recent articles include “Creencias de autoeficacia y principales desafíos docentes de profesores de español como segunda lengua” (2022), “Foreign language teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs and perspectives about maintaining their students’ interest” (2021), and “Spanish teachers’ perceptions about their positive impact on their students to maintain their interest” (2023).
Email: c.pratt@ttu.edu