Exploring the integration of Cognitive Linguistics in EFL classrooms

Abstract Studies that investigate how teachers actually teach with Cognitive Linguistics (CL) are rare and often stop short of entering the foreign language classroom, which is a necessary step to understanding if, how, and to what extent insights from CL are compatible with specific classroom ecosystems. To fill this research gap, we report on an exploratory case study with an in-service teacher in Belgium who was introduced to cognitive-pedagogical teaching materials for the Count/Mass Distinction and then asked to prepare and teach a 90-minute lesson on this grammar topic to a group of A1-A2 adult EFL learners. Data was gathered via semi-structured interviews and a classroom observation to analyze how the teacher integrated the cognitive-pedagogical teaching materials into her lesson. Results point to some of the challenges that an experienced teacher unfamiliar with CL may face when implementing a CL approach. More specifically, despite expressing openness to CL, this teacher unconsciously reverted to familiar teaching routines when faced with such an unfamiliar approach. This confirms prior research that calls for continuous teacher training to facilitate the dissemination of CL insights, emphasizes the importance of engaging with existing beliefs and practices, and considers the role of teacher agency in pedagogical change. We hypothesize that CL may be most effectively framed as a first-order change, i.e., a gradual enhancement that builds on teachers’ existing practices, rather than a paradigm shift.