World language teachers’ beliefs and practices in asynchronous courses at two-year colleges

This study explores the beliefs and practices of world language instructors at two-year colleges who teach fully online, asynchronous courses. Using Borg's (2006) Language Teacher Cognition framework, which considers instructors' prior schooling, professional coursework, and contextual factors like institutional support, the research examines how these beliefs shape teaching practices in the online environment. Four world language teachers from two-year colleges participated in this study and data were collected through three interviews and semester long online, classroom observations. Thematic findings include the importance of second language acquisition principles such as explicit grammar instruction, cultural connections, and opportunities for human interaction. Course design also emerged as a key theme, with effective planning, assessment structures, and active learning strategies being critical to student success. Additionally, instructors' roles have shifted due to the nature of online teaching. The study reveals that instructors were able to fully enact their beliefs about grammar instruction; however, were only moderately able to enact beliefs about fostering interaction, engaging course design, and exposure to diverse linguistic and cultural inputs. The study highlights the need for professional development and institutional support to help instructors bridge the gap between their pedagogical beliefs and the practical constraints of asynchronous teaching.