The Instructional Strategies that Support Foreign Language Learners and Encourage Student Engagement

Abstract

This paper examines effective instructional strategies that make foreign language learning more comprehensible and meaningful. It also examines how foreign language teachers can promote student engagement and how lessons can be effectively taught during the limited time of a lesson period. The research was conducted in the northeastern United States, employing a survey for five foreign language teachers, three foreign language class observations in a public high school, two interviews with Japanese students, and self-reflection on my teaching experience in Japan. The data were analyzed through coding and comparative analysis of teaching in the U.S. and in Japan. The results indicate that foreign language teachers can enhance students’ learning through incorporating a variety of materials and activities to keep students interested and motivated with continuous practice, even within a prescriptive school curriculum. This research indicates that foreign language teachers, especially English teachers in Asia, should explore and utilize different types of instructional strategies.