Abstrakt: | The term learning environment is a construct perceived by researchers
as embracing different aspects of the teaching-learning continuum. It
can be described as the physical location where learning occurs: learning
in class versus learning beyond it, learning in a home country (with
focus on the effects of a learning environment on outcomes of teaching)
versus learning abroad (Dewey, 2004, Diaz-Campos, 2004), the latter
constituting a fast-growing area of study. Learning environment also
means the physical space where formal instruction is carried out (Gabryś-
Barker, 2010). But above all, learning environment studies focus on
interactions between adults (teachers, parents) and students and show
how these relations can affect the latter’s achievement and more generally
well-being at school and outside. Thus, it can be seen as mostly
affective. This chapter aims to comment on the perceptions pre-service
teachers have of a foreign language learning environment, as expressed
in their narrative texts on the topic. The data obtained in this study will
be compared with the result of a similar study carried out with a group
of pre-service EFL teachers in a different cultural setting, in Turkey
(Sağlam, Sali, 2013). This should shed some light on whether the trainees’
perceptions are in some way culture-specific and therefore
grounded in the educational policies of a given country. The conclusions
drawn from the study will hopefully contribute to the ongoing discussion
on how to improve FL teachers’ training programmes. |