A high-leverage language teaching practice: Leading an open-ended group discussion

In response to calls for more practice-based teacher education, this study investigated the way in which two high-performing novice world language teachers, one in Spanish and one in Latin, implemented a high-leverage teaching practice, leading an open-ended group discussion. Observational data revealed a number of constituent micro-practices. The article offers examples illustrating the way in which the practice was achieved and also captures the impact of such practices on classroom discourse. Findings provide an initial basis upon which continued research on high-leverage teaching practices in the world language education context can be pursued.