ABSTRACT
Although the overall mission of L2 teacher education has remained relatively constant, that is, to prepare L2 teachers to do the work of this profession, our understanding of that work-of who teaches English, who learns English and why-of the sociopolitical and socioeconomic contexts in which English is taught, and of the varieties of English that are taught and used around the world, has changed dramatically in the last half century (Johnson, 2006). To address these changes, I conclude by outlining several major challenges facing L2 teacher education. The first challenge is to examine our existing practices while simultaneously creating alternative practices that support the professionalization of L2 teachers in the complex social, political, economic, and cultural settings where they learn and work. A second challenge is to explore more fully the complex relationship between L2 teacher professional learning and student learning, so that it becomes evident to policy makers and other stakeholders that time, attention, and support for L2 teacher professional development can in fact lead to greater gains in student achievement. A third challenge is to enable L2 teachers to resist the politics of accountability that are shaping global educational policies and curricular mandates while simultaneously equipping them with the intellectual tools of inquiry that will empower them to create educationally sound, contextually appropriate, and socially equitable learning opportunities for the L2 students they teach. These challenges, discussed in detail below, begin to map out uncharted territory for the field of L2 teacher education.
