ABSTRACT
This chapter presents typical teaching practices found in observation of fifteen modern foreign languages (MFL) lessons in German, French and Spanish at Key Stage 3 (KS3) and considers their impact on pupils' motivation. It provides findings from the interviews with the teachers to explain the reasons for their use of these practices. The chapter then discusses how some of the practices could be transformed to increase student engagement and motivation and ultimately enhance language learning. Over the last thirty years, research into teacher beliefs about language teaching has been seen as important to an understanding of teaching, and it is now accepted that they are central to what happens in classrooms. When asked about their teaching principles, the participants mentioned various ideas, using certain buzzwords and concepts that are widely promoted in secondary education in England. The chapter also discusses those ideas that relate to the main characteristics of the teaching practices.
