Enhancing Online K-12 World Language Instruction: Administrator and Teacher Perspectives

Online instruction is an increasingly important component of K-12 world language programming ( Gacs et al., 2020 ), especially with decreases in language enrollment across the United States and more programs turning to online platforms for instruction in less commonly taught languages ( Lusin et al., 2023 ). While recent research has shed light on teachers’ and students’ perspectives of effective online world language instruction ( Harsch et al., 2021 ; Kissau et al., 2024 ), no studies have included the perspectives of district administrators who oversee these programs and who are often tasked with world language teacher professional development. In response, this study used semistructured interviews of K-12 world language coordinators in 11 school districts in North Carolina and complemented those data with interviews of the teachers they supervised to investigate effective online language teaching practices and ways to support teachers’ online instructional practices and professional development needs. Analyses of transcribed interviews revealed promising practices, components of world language instruction that are challenging to address online, and areas where further professional development is needed. Findings have important implications for guiding and enhancing policy and online teaching practices.