Reconceptualizing language teaching: an in-service teacher education course in uzbekistan

Creating Social Conditions for Mediated Cognition
The third value I have is creating the necessary social conditions for 
mediated cognition to occur. Mediated cognition refers to the idea that the 
human mind is inherently social which emerges out of participation in ex-
ternal forms of social interaction that become internalized psychological 
tools for thinking. It is through dialogic interaction and co-construction of 
meaning, where learners have potential growth in knowledge, skills, and 
awareness that can lead to development. However, interaction can be fruit-
ful when learners feel comfortable in their learning contexts with their in-
terlocutors.
When I work with language teachers, I use collaborative group work 
to promote the social environment that can support mediated cognition. 
Over the course of a seminar, I provide teacher-learners with access to a 
group for the entire course of study, and explain (and show) them why I 
believe in collaborative work: first, to improve the quantity and quality of 
my student’s learning; second, to foster their ability to interact effectively 
with others in both professional and personal terms; and third, to model 
and demonstrate co-operative activities and techniques which they can 
later use in life. I hope to create a sense of belonging for each learner and 
promote positive human interaction/community building, so that interac-
tion can ensue for mediated cognition to take place. 
Conclusion 
My teaching philosophy is grounded in providing a cooperative atmo-
sphere between me and learners and amongst learners. I treat them as if 
they already have the skills and knowledge that they do not yet have, so 
they may grow into those abilities. At the same time, I choose and design 
tasks that promote inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving; I further 
frame them in terms of growth, challenge, and enjoyment. Finally, I believe 
that dialogic interaction and co-construction of meaning are needed for 
learning to take place. I enjoy teaching. I believe that teaching is not only 
about helping learners with specific knowledge and skills, but to help them 
grow and evolve to meet the demands of society, and thus, become more 
humane people.

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CHAPTER TWO: LANGUAGE TEACHING
References
1. Bakhurst, D. (1991). Consciousness and revolution in Soviet psycholo-
gy
. Cambridge: Cambridge U.P. 
2. Golombek, P. R., & Doran, M. (2014). Unifying cognition, emotion, 
and activity in language teacher professional development. Teach-
ing and Teacher Education
, 39, 102-111. 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.
tate.2014.01.002
.

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RECONCEPTUALIZING LANGUAGE TEACHING