The Multilingual Instructor

Claire Kramsch and Lihua Zhang use an ecological approach
and a complexity thought model to examine the identities,
experiences, and practices of foreign language teachers as
native or non-native speakers, multilingual instructors, and
professional educators. What is their sense of legitimacy?
How do they bridge the historical and cultural gaps between
them and their students? What stories do they share in the
classroom? Which do they not share? How do they view
their ethical responsibility? Drawing on primary research
with teachers at the college level in the US, the book explores
some of the key issues related to teaching languages in an
era of increasing global mobility, institutional control, and
educational uncertainty.
“In this landmark publication, Kramsch and Zhang show
us the challenges facing the multilingual instructor and
the importance of understanding their experiences in
order to improve the quality of teaching and learning as
transformative practices. The ecological framework provides
a very useful model for future studies, while the attention
to the ethical role of the multilingual instructor is a timely
reminder to us all.” Li Wei, Chair of Applied Linguistics,
UCL Institute of Education, University College London
Claire Kramsch is Emerita Professor of German and Professor of the
Graduate School of Education at University of California, Berkeley
Lihua Zhang is Lecturer of Chinese and Chinese Language
Program Coordinator at University of California, Berkeley
Oxford Applied Linguistics Series Advisers:
Anne Burns and Diane Larsen-Freeman