---

This book uses a guided action research model in order to investigate a model of practice that seeks to optimise the outcomes in bilingual classrooms lead by non-native teachers. The questions that form the basis of this research relate to the teaching and learning of languages in Australian classrooms at the beginner level. A major focus of this research is on the classroom context and the role of teachers´ decisions and strategies in the development of student proficiency at beginner levels. Drawing on data from 10 beginner classrooms in a diverse range of New South Wales schools, this study examines normal interactional patterns in the Languages classroom and explores those strategies that can be enabling of target language use by students. The research presented in this book takes as a basic principle the notion that an understanding of the teaching and learning context is indispensable to any attempt to bring about change in practice.

---

Dr. Morgan is a Senior Lecturer, former Director of the Centre for Language and Literacy and co-ordinator of the Languages Teaching Major at UTS. He has been involved in research into Language teaching for 12 years, and has written widely in the area of teacher education and community languages teaching and learning.

---