AbstractThe purpose of this chapter is twofold: (1) to investigate connections between the
reform of bifurcated foreign language (FL) programs, as proposed in the 2007
MLA Report, and FL teacher development; and (2) to explore what types of methods
courses establish this connection. To meet these goals, the author first summarizes
current limitations of collegiate FL teacher development in the bifurcated
system and identifies key issues related to rethinking this development for the
twenty-first century. Next, she presents an alternative to FL teacher development
that addresses the recommendations of the MLA Report. Specifically, she argues
in favor of training in literacy-based pedagogy and provides an example of a literacy-
based methods course, supported by data that illustrate its efficacy. Finally,
she discusses the benefits and limitations of the literacy-based methods course,
its implications for FL teacher development, and its potential contribution to the
reform of bifurcated programs.
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