Initial education of language teachers and pandemic context: the focus on collaborative practices to face challenges

Abstract

The challenges in initial teacher education are numerous, especially for additional language teachers. In the current pandemic context of the new Coronavirus, more challenges have been imposed, especially in the almost immediate employment of digital technologies for a remote emergency teaching modality. In this article, we discuss the challenges that were imposed on the initial education of German teachers as an additional language, considering the pandemic crisis and the context of extension projects at two public universities in Rio de Janeiro. As a theoretical framework we use the concepts of reflective teaching and reflective practice, as well as socio-interactionist theories for the discussion of collaborative practices for teacher education. As a research methodology, we adopted an interpretative approach, based on participant observation and action research, with data generated from the analysis of diaries and documents from the orientation meetings between extensionists and teachers. The results of this study indicate the importance of collaborative practices adopted in the academic orientation meetings in the context of language teaching and learning projects, which takes place through the education of a reflective professional who, through reflection and action, is capable of undertaking socio-educational transformations.