Learning Languages in schools: Making a difference through reflection on practice

The learner-centred and experiential pedagogical approach encouraged by the revised New Zealand Curriculum can be problematic for teachers who are used to delivering courses in teacher-fronted ways. Using the Learning Languages learning area as the context, this article presents the case of one New Zealand teacher who completed an initial teacher education programme in 2016 and who, in the course of the year-long programme, was required to shift her thinking and practice from teacher-led to learner-centred. Her story usefully documents a teacher’s journey from tradition to innovation, and illustrates what can be achieved through teacher reflection on practice.