| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立花蓮師範學院 === 國民教育研究所 === 94 === Taiwan’s Ministry of Education has begun to plan and employ foreign teachers to join the junior high and elementary schools’ English teaching since 2003. In order to investigate the team teaching process, the interaction and communication between local English teachers and foreign teachers at elementary schools in Yilan County, multiple methods such as participant observation, interview and document-analysis have been used to collect data. The data of observing and interviewing were analyzed qualitatively. After discussion and analysis, the findings of the study are summarized here.
First, there are some elements that influence the relationship between local and foreign English teachers. It is noted that a positive and energetic personality, a good attitude, gentle communication and expression skills, and if possible, similar teaching belief can all improve the relationship. In addition, a successful team teaching can be expected to establish a non-“primary and secondary” relationship, and regard teacher's specific specialty as distinguishing the basis with teaching roles and duties between the local teacher and foreign teacher in the same team. Moreover, except the skill and experience of language learning and cultural exchange can reduce the misunderstanding among members effectively. The basic motivation of professional knowledge development for all team teaching groups primarily originates from the guidance counselor and the Yilan county advisory panel’s summer orientation and on-going workshop during the whole school year.
Second, there are challenges to cross-cultural team teaching. Firstly, these include an expected gap between the local teacher and foreign teacher, the different personality and attitude of team members, different ways of dealing with conflict and unshared opinions, different perspectives on the management and distribution of time, and the differences of language and culture. After one year of team teaching, some development of team teaching members can be expected. Firstly, the members can share their teaching experience and resources with each other. Secondly, they discover and improve some teaching deficiencies. Thirdly, their experience enriches their teaching strategies and process, and promotes all members’ teaching profession. Schools that have participated in the team teaching project are encouraged to promote the English learning atmosphere of teachers and students of the school. Furthermore, this can change the culture of the campus and result in many cultural exchanges.
Third, a successful process of cross-culture team teaching can roughly be divided into three stages. The beginning stage involves discovering, adapting, learning, and observing. The developing stage occurs when trust and equal relationship are set up progressively. The third is the growth stage of great tacit understanding, frequent interaction, and strong common understanding.
According to the results of this study, some concrete suggestions are presented. Educational administrative institutions and schools need to emphasize the importance of personality and professional ability of teachers when selecting a foreign teacher. They should also clarify the new teacher’s appropriate role and duty. It is very important to plan a detailed pre-service orientation and continuing study workshop for newly hired foreign teachers in order to promote the relationship of team teaching members. These should also be an advisory team set up to carry on professional development and problem consultation. If they can arrange some local language learning and cultural experiences for foreign teachers, this can help them understand the local educational culture and system, these by reducing the chance of some conflicts between local teachers and foreign teachers.
Not only the foreign English teachers but also the local English teachers should participate in pre-service orientations and continuing workshop studies. This will give participants the opportunity to interact with each other, building up mutual trust, and promoting members' self-confidence. All members should consider their self- personality, attitudes and teaching beliefs and have an opportunity to revise weak tendencies or lacks in order to reduce conflicts. All members should manage their own time appropriately to have more time to communicate and interact with their teaching partner. Through frequent discussions with each other, they can have joint educational belief and good interactive relationships. All members should have a flexible expectation and teaching plan to make a balance between the ideals and reality.
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