https://doi.org/10.15446/profile.v20n2.65609

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator
Training Programme at a Mexican University

Planificación lingüística de lenguas extranjeras: el caso de un programa
para maestros de lengua y traductores

Virna Velázquez*1
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico

Edgar Emmanuell García-Ponce**2
Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico

The present article reports on a study that set out to investigate the effectiveness of strategies and decisions
formulated in foreign language planning to ensure learners’ language achievement in a higher education
context which trains learners to become English or French teachers or translators. By drawing on data
collected from simulated proficiency tests and interviews with students, teachers, and administrators, the
findings show that the foreign language goals have not been met as stipulated in the curriculum, and that
there are several shortcomings in the foreign language planning that need the educational community’s
consideration. This article also discusses some factors that should be considered in foreign language
planning in order to meet language goals in educational contexts.

Key words: Curriculum, English as a foreign language, language planning, low proficiency level,
teacher training.

El presente estudio se realizó con el objetivo de explorar la efectividad de estrategias y decisiones como
parte de una planificación de lenguas extranjeras. Esta planificación lingüística se ha implementado para
promover la competencia lingüística como parte de una licenciatura que prepara estudiantes para ser
maestros o traductores de inglés o francés. Al explorar datos estadísticos y de entrevistas con estudiantes,
maestros y administrativos, los resultados muestran que los objetivos de las lenguas extranjeras no se han
logrado y hay varias limitantes con respecto a su planificación. Estos resultados son de gran relevancia
para entender algunos factores que deberían ser considerados en una planificación lingüística con
objetivos concernientes a las lenguas extranjeras en contextos de enseñanza y aprendizaje.

Palabras clave: bajo nivel de lengua, curriculum, formación docente, inglés como lengua extranjera,
planificación lingüística.

* E-mail: virnalenguas@hotmail.com
** E-mail: ee.garcia@ugto.mx

How to cite this article (apa, 6th ed.): Velázquez, V., & García-Ponce, E. E. (2018). Foreign language planning: The case of a teacher/translator
training programme at a Mexican university. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 20(2), 79-94. https://doi.org/10.15446/
profile.v20n2.65609.

This article was received on June 12, 2017 and accepted on March 9, 2018.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives
4.0 International License. Consultation is possible at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras80

Velázquez & García-Ponce

Introduction
Language planning (lp) is defined as the search for

and formulation of strategies to cover linguistic needs
of target people who learn languages for educational,
political, and employment purposes (Tollefson, 1994).
The strategies in lp can be formulated following two
broad perspectives: (a) lp in communities or societies
involving sociolinguistic factors (i.e., corpus and status
planning) and (b) lp for language education purposes (i.e.,
language acquisition planning) (Baldauf & Kaplan, 2007;
Cooper, 1989). In the latter planning category, decisions
are strategically planned in order to set and achieve
linguistic goals in teaching and learning contexts. In order
to ensure lp’s effectiveness, a number of measures are
used to evaluate its processes and thus effectiveness. The
aim of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of foreign
language planning (flp) that has been implemented at
a university in Mexico which trains learners to become
English or French teachers or translators during a five-
year training programme. Three research questions were
thus formulated to guide the study:
1. How effective is the current flp in the Faculty of

Languages?
2. What can we learn from the learners’, teachers’, and

administrators’ perceptions concerning the flp as
a process to ensure learner achievement?

3. What alternative actions should be taken into
account by the community in order to ensure the
effectiveness of foreign language planning and thus
language learner achievement?

Language Planning
For Gadelii (1999), lp involves decisions that a

group of people (i.e., linguists or government) makes,
plans, and applies to solve issues related to a language or
languages, in cases of bilingualism or multilingualism.
Haugen (1996) alludes to Weinrich as the first scholar
who first used the term lp during a seminar given at
Columbia University in 1957. Regardless of the fact that
lp is nowadays considered a legitimate field of study, the

different angles which are used to approach lp processes
have not been exempt from controversy. In particular,
the need for adequate frameworks or theory through
which the processes involved in lp are explained and
evaluated has been highlighted:

We are particularly limited with respect to any systematic social

theory-guided approach to why certain selective, elaborative, and

codification attempts succeed (i.e., why they are accepted by the

desired target populations), whereas others fail. (Fishman, Das

Gupta, Jernudd, & Rubin, 1971, p. 304)

Despite Fishman et al.’s (1971) call for a theory-based
approach for lp, recent research literature has still put
forward the need for such an approach which facilitates
the formulation of strategies and evaluation of processes
as part of lp (see Amorós, 2008). However, there are
indeed agreed processes which can be followed in lp.
These processes involve:
1. Describing;
2. Predicting;
3. Explaining the processes; and
4. Suggesting valid generalisations about the processes

and results.

Firstly, descriptions are elaborated regarding the
influence of agents on (a) which behaviours, (b) of
whom, (c) by which means, and (d) with which results.
Secondly, after the influence is described, the facts that are
perceived to be involved in the language learning process
are predicted. Thirdly, the facts alongside their processes
are explained. Finally, generalisations are formulated,
and results are suggested. In order to obtain effective
outcomes, Mesthrie, Swann, Deumert, and Leap (2009)
suggest that lp should go through the following stages:
1. Penetration. This requires that a language planner

enters the target community, and analyses the
linguistic situation.

2. Participation. This involves carrying out decision-
making work regarding the language or languages
under study.

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

3. Legitimacy. The changes and/or strategies planned
are officially legitimised in the speech community.

4. Identity. In order to ensure the effectiveness of
their implementation, language planners should
formulate strategies with which speakers or users
are likely to feel identified.

5. Distribution. Once the community is gradually
accepting the strategies, language planners need to
distribute and strengthen the planned strategies so
that the lp goals are achieved.

However, it is not always possible for strategies
formulated in lp to yield expected outcomes. Therefore,
Baldauf (2004) argues that in order to ensure effective
outcomes, lp should include:
• All the decisions formulated in the lp work,

including those that are not entirely accepted or
implemented by the target community;

• Strategies planned to alter or change the language;
• Description of the decisions or strategies that the

language planner considers relevant in relation to
the linguistic objectives; and

• Alternative measures that guarantee their
implementation.

In line with Fierman (1991), Baldauf (2004) and
Payne (2007) we agree that lp should include decisions
strategically planned to alter or change a linguistic situ-
ation or aspects of (a) language(s). However, he goes
further to emphasise the need to formulate alternative
strategies in order to ensure the effectiveness of lp.
Baldauf ’s suggestion is of particular relevance for lp
in educational settings which have not been exempt
from shortcomings. These shortcomings are claimed
to be largely motivated by the educational system and
characteristics of the linguistic community and cur-
riculum, among others, as well as having an impact on
learners’ language achievement, attitudes, and motiva-
tion (Tergborg, Lastra & Moore, 2006). However, as
we shall discuss later in this article, lp in educational

contexts should take into account not only instructional
(i.e., teaching- and learning-related practices) but also
perceptual (i.e., speakers’ perceptions and attitudes)
factors in order to ensure its effectiveness. Regarding
the former factors, González, Vivaldo, and Castillo
(2004) suggest the following strategies:
1. Attainable objectives must be set in order to

allow the education system to develop learners’
multiculturalism and multilingualism. This requires
the design of syllabi which unifies the linguistic
competence that learners need to develop in each
education level in the country.

2. Language teaching programmes must be designed in
a way that the attainment of linguistic goals, clearly
divided by proficiency levels, is ensured.

3. Learners should be provided with language standard
frameworks in order for them to assess and promote
the progress of their linguistic competence.

4. Foreign language teaching must incorporate pro-
fessional standards, involving linguistic, cultural,
and pedagogical competence.

5. Teaching and learning resources must be improved
and provided at all educational levels.

6. Collaborative dialogue should also be promoted
in order to develop and coordinate educational
policies for a more solid, holistic, and equitable
language education.

These strategies are of great importance for the
purpose of exploring the effectiveness of the flp deci-
sions and strategies in the teaching and learning context
in which the study took place. As we will see, it also
seems important that alternative actions are formulated,
implemented, and evaluated to ensure the effectiveness
of teaching and learning practices and thus language
achievement.

So far, we have seen that research literature has
long put forward the call for a theoretical and method-
ological approach which facilitates the processes and
effectiveness of lp. The lack of such an approach may

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Velázquez & García-Ponce

be due to the diverse objectives, languages, contexts,
speakers, and communities that planners have sought
to investigate, making it almost impossible to converge
on effectively common lp strategies. As a consequence,
research literature has yielded different strategies or
methods to approach a linguistic situation in a speech
community. The absence of this approach has been
extrapolated to language educational settings, where
linguistic competence goals have not been fully met as
expected. This is the case of the research context of this
study where learners have been seen not to develop
a foreign language competence as stipulated in the
official curriculum. With the aim of understanding
the factors that may be motivating the shortcomings
of the current flp in this context, this study firstly
examines the attainment of language proficiency goals
as stipulated in the curriculum. It secondly explores
the learners’, teachers’, and administrators’ percep-
tions concerning the decisions and strategies that
have been formulated and implemented in order to
achieve these linguistic goals. As we shall see, some of
these decisions and strategies mirror Fierman’s (1991),
Baldauf ’s (2004), and Payne’s (2007) suggestions for
planning languages, but others need the language
community’s consideration in order to ensure the
effectiveness of the flp and thus learner achievement
in this teaching and learning context.

The Study
The present study was motivated by perceptual

evidence that a high number of learners in this context
was unable to meet the language goals stipulated in the
curriculum. As we shall see, this evidence was corrobo-
rated by the results of diagnostic exams (García Ponce,
2011), which are known in this context as mock exams
(see below). The learners’ low language proficiency
raised the need to explore and evaluate the current flp
strategies with a view to understanding how learners in
this teaching and learning context may develop more
effective linguistic and interactional skills. This research

interest was reinforced by the fact that these learners are
being trained to become language teachers or transla-
tors and will rely on their language skills to effectively
teach or translate the foreign languages. Moreover, it is
known in this faculty that due to their low proficiency
level, these learners sometimes compete for jobs with
individuals whose profession is not related to language
teaching or translation studies, but whose language
competence is higher than theirs (García Ponce, 2011).

Research Context
The study took place in the Faculty of Languages

at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México
(uaem). This university is a higher education institution
whose language faculty currently offers a five-year
programme aimed at training learners to become
English or French teachers or translators. This institution
was established in the early 1990s in the City of Toluca,
Mexico. It initially began offering the ba in English
and, in subsequent years, the ba in French Language
and Culture. In 2003, the administration decided to
merge both programmes, and the teacher/translator
training programme (i.e., ba in Languages) was then
created. As stipulated in the curriculum (uaem, 2010),
learners are expected to develop abilities which promote
knowledge of and reflection on the foreign language,
teaching practices, and translation skills. Due to practical
constraints, the present paper is unable to encompass
all the strategies that are planned and implemented
for each major (i.e., language teaching or translation).
However, the paper is a starting point to understand
the strategies and decisions that converge during the
flp for both English and French. Concerning these
two target languages, the goals in this institution are
the following:
• Speak English or French with precision;
• initiate a wide range of practical, social, profes-

sional and abstract topics;
• participate with ease in discussions of their area

(language teaching or translation studies); and

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

• use a wide range of discourse strategies during
communication, which is not affected if learners
make mistakes. (uaem, 2010, pp. 18-19)

Specifically, learners are expected to develop a
minimum linguistic competence of b2 according to
the Common European Framework of Reference for
Languages (cefrl), and an intermediate proficiency
level in the fl in which they are not majoring. In order
to facilitate the achievement of these objectives, learners
are given an active responsibility for their academic
progress at their convenience (uaem, 2010). This active
responsibility involves not only making decisions as to
the selection of subjects and hours of study per semester,
but also finding opportunities which promote language
learning autonomy (uaem, 2010).

Participants
As previously stated, the purpose of this study is

twofold. Firstly, it aims to determine the effectiveness of
the strategies and decisions in flp. In order to attain this,
we used the results of mock exams of 122 learners (81
majoring in English, and 41 majoring in French) enrolled
in semesters iii, vi, and ix (see Simulated Proficiency
Tests section). Secondly, it explores learners’, teachers,’
and administrators’ perceptions regarding the strategies
and decision-making involved in the flp work carried
out by the institution. For this, in order to understand the
strategies, interviews were conducted with 18 learners,
12 teachers, and 14 administrators. The 18 participant
learners (three learners of English and three learners
of French taking semesters iii, vi, and ix, respectively)
were chosen randomly from attendance lists, contacted
in their classrooms, and invited to participate in this
study under no obligation. The participant teachers, of
English and French, were also teaching in those semesters
and were invited to participate in the interviews. In
the case of the administrators, only those that actively
participate in the design of the flp were chosen and
invited to participate. In total, 44 informants participated

in the interviews which were held at their convenience
over a period of three months.

Simulated Proficiency Tests
Mock exams in this context are administered every

semester following two broad aims: (a) to promote
learners’ awareness of their foreign language competence,
and (b) to evaluate learners’ language achievement in
relation to the curriculum’s linguistic goals. It should be
noted that these exams follow the same structure and
sections of international language certifications in order
to train learners in passing these tests and thus obtain
language certificates which they will need in order to
work in the Mexican labour market.

The analysis of the results of these exams (122)
followed a quantitative approach, involving simple
total numbers, averages, and percentages (please refer
to Appendices a, b, and c for more information).

Interviews
The interviews with the three groups of this edu-

cational community (i.e., learners, language teachers,
and administrators) were recorded in order to facilitate
the explorations of the flp. Three interview guides were
designed, one for each group, consisting of 25 to 34 items.
Face validity of the interview guides was ensured by three
scholars who (a) were familiar with lp strategies and
language teaching, (b) participated as pilot informants;
and (c) gave feedback as to the structure of the items
and guides. The recorded interviews were conducted
in Spanish in order to avoid the participants’ concerns
about the correctness of their responses, and to promote
a rapport between the interviewer and participants. The
recorded interviews were transcribed completely in order
to explore from micro and macro lenses the informants’
perceptions concerning the decisions and strategies in the
flp. The transcribed data were then analysed through a
meaning categorisation which is believed to facilitate the
identification of patterns, themes, and meaning (Berg,
2009). This involved identifying extracts manually, and

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Velázquez & García-Ponce

attributing them to theme categories and sub-categories
which emerged from the data. In order to protect the
participants’ identity, the words “Learner”, “Teacher”,
or “Administrator” and an identification number (e.g.,
Teacher 5) were used in the results and discussions.

Results and Discussion
In order to address the first two research questions

(i.e., how effective is the current flp in the Faculty of
Languages? And what can we learn from the learners’,
teachers’, and administrators’ perceptions concerning the
flp as a process to ensure learner achievement?), this sec-
tion discusses the results concerning the explorations of
the flp in this higher education context. The discussions
revolve around five macro themes: (a) foreign language
planning, (b) learners’ foreign language proficiency, (c)
language teaching and learning practices, (d) foreign
language classes and learner motivation, and (e) language
resources and learner autonomy. Overall, the evidence
corroborates that the learners’ language proficiency was
low and suggests that there is a number of shortcomings
in the flp which needs alternative actions in order to
ensure learner achievement progressively.

Foreign language Planning
Overall, the elicited data indicated various percep-

tions concerning the flp carried out by the Faculty of
Languages. Twenty-five percent of the administrators’
responses suggested an endorsement for continuous
planning and evaluation of the foreign languages: English
and French, as suggested in Extract 1.

Extract 1

Of course [flp] is important because our ba programme is in

languages. (Administrator 7)

This endorsement reflects Moreau’s (1997) and
Cooper’s (1997) suggestions that languages should be
continuously planned and evaluated in order to guarantee
an effective implementation of strategies. In line with
Moreau (1997) and Cooper (1997), Weinstein (1980)

highlights that lp needs to be in continuous develop-
ment and evaluation so that language planners or the
community design and implement corrective or alterna-
tive actions. Seventy percent of the participant learners’
responses suggested that learners, as well as teachers and
administrators, should take part in the flp processes. For
example, Learner 11 (English) mentioned the following:

Extract 2

I think that everybody should participate; the director, sub-director,

mostly teachers, but students should also voice their opinions.

Learner 11’s response suggests the idea that the
whole community should participate in the decision-
making of the flp. What is interesting in the phrase
“but students should also voice their opinions” is
that Learner 11 reveals a perceived lack of learner
participation in this decision-making. According
to Fierman (1991), all the members of a community
should participate in the process of planning a language
in order to promote effective implementation. As
we shall see below, there was a number of perceived
shortcomings related to the flp. These shortcomings
were particularly associated with the administration’s
emphasis on teaching practices, neglecting learning-
related practices as suggested by the informants. These
perceived shortcomings in turn reveal the failure of
the current flp to formulate strategies taking into
consideration learner voices and perceptions.

Learners’ Foreign
Language Proficiency
When asked about learners’ proficiency level, 50%

of the participant learners felt that the proficiency level
was generally low. This was also felt by Administrator
8, as suggested in Extract 3.

Extract 3

I think that in general it is considerably low. I have been interviewing

language coordinators from other institutions and they do not hire

graduates from this faculty. Their reason is that they are perceived

[by the coordinators] to have a low language proficiency.

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

Forty-five percent of the informants (involving
learners, teachers, and administrators) were aware that
this low learner achievement was against the stipulations
of the curriculum. For example, this feeling was suggested
by Teacher 2 (French) as follows.

Extract 4

Regarding the curriculum, I believe that [the results from the tests]

are low because we are training future English or French language

teachers and they should have a higher language proficiency level

than the public in general.

In exploring the mock examinations, the results
confirmed a low proficiency level of learners in semesters
iii, vi, and ix. Moreover, these results indicated higher
passing grades of learners majoring in French than
learners majoring in English. Table 1 may explain the
varied results of English and French examinations:

Table 1. Proficiency Levels of Mock Examinations

Semester English French

iii b1 (pet) a2 (delf)

vi b2 (fce) b1 (delf)

ix c1 (cae) b2 (delf)

Note. pet = Preliminary English Test, fce = First Certificate in
English, cae = Certificate in Advanced English, delf = Diplôme
D’Études en Langue Française, dalf = Diplôme Approfondi de
Langue Française.

As shown in Table 1, there was a mismatch between
the proficiency levels of the mock examinations in English
and French. Learners in semesters iii and vi took English
examinations whose proficiency levels were b1 and b2,
whereas learners majoring in French took examinations
with equal proficiency levels but in semesters vi and ix. The
immediate issue that emerges from this evidence is that
learners majoring in English or French were set unequal
linguistic goals, as indicated in Table 1. It is thus likely
that learners after taking the teacher/translator training
programme in this context develop different levels of

English and French proficiency. It is interesting that some
participants were aware of this mismatch, for example:

Extract 5

I think that students are achieving higher proficiency levels in

French than in English . . . we have spotted a tiny mistake in placing

[students] in a b2 level when their level is b1 and maybe this makes

them believe that they have a high level. (Teacher 7, English)

As suggested in Extract 5, it seems that learners
majoring in French were obtaining higher results, but
from a lower proficiency level than learners majoring
in English. The results of the mock examinations also
showed low learner participation (see Appendix c). The
implication of low learner participation in these exams is
that learner achievement in general cannot be determined
with accuracy. However, based on the results of the
learners that participated in these exams, it is apparent
that the linguistic goals stipulated by the curriculum were
not met. Mentioned by three administrators, the low
learner achievement hinders learners from obtaining an
international language certification that demonstrates, at
least, a proficiency level of b2, the minimum proficiency
level required to work as language teachers in many
schools in Mexico, as suggested in Extract 6.

Extract 6

It is a problem that there are students and graduates who cannot

work because of their [low] proficiency level and we have to do

something. (Administrator 13)

This evidence not only highlights the community’s
failure to meet the linguistic goals stipulated in the cur-
riculum, but also raises the need for alternative strategies
or actions in flp, as suggested by Baldauf (2004).

Language Teaching
and Learning Practices
As discussed previously, the evidence shows that

the learners’ proficiency was generally low and in
contradiction with the stipulations of the curricu-
lum. It is possible that the low proficiency levels are

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Velázquez & García-Ponce

largely influenced by the learners’ failure to carry
out actively learning-related practices outside the
classroom, as consistent with Baldauf and Kaplan’s
(2007) contention. The Faculty of Languages has tried
to promote learner autonomy outside the classroom
by encouraging learners to carry out a self-study of
two hours for each hour in language classes, that is,
if learners study the language for six hours in class-
rooms, they are expected to practise it for 12 hours
on an autonomous basis, as suggested in Extract 7.

Extract 7

We reduced the class hours so that students work autonomously

because they are required to obtain a certain proficiency level. This

decision would motivate them to use the self-access centre or carry

out study by themselves. (Teacher 1, English)

However, learners were considerably perceived
by the participant teachers and administrators not to
carry out these autonomous learning practices. This
shortcoming was felt by Teacher 9 (French) as follows.

Extract 8

We are not promoting learner autonomy correctly because the

student goes to the self-access centre because his teacher asked him

to go; not because he wants to go there and practise.

In Extract 8, Teacher 9’s statement suggests the
feeling that learner autonomy inside and outside
the language classroom has not been promoted as
expected. Moreover, she suggests the feeling that
learner autonomy is not effectively encouraged when
learning practices are imposed upon learners. The
lack of learner autonomy was corroborated by eight
participant learners who admitted that they only
practised the foreign language in classrooms. In
exploring the reasons that motivated the lack of
learner autonomy, 60% of the participant learners
felt that it was a consequence of a “great amount
of workload” that they have ever y semester, but
also their “irresponsible attitudes,” as admitted by
Learner 4 (French):

Extract 9

I do not think that there is a lack of promotion. I do believe that

students are not interested in using those resources.

In response to the aforementioned limitations,
45% of the informants (18 students, one teacher, and
one administrator) suggested an alternative strategy, a
foreign language immersion which involves the whole
community speaking the foreign languages inside
and outside classrooms in order to promote learner
involvement and autonomy. For example, Teacher 5
(English) recommends the following:

Extract 10

We need to re-implement that programme called “English Every-

where” and try other activities. And we, as administrators and

teachers, need to speak English or French.

The shortcomings of the flp concerning learners’
low language achievement may also be a consequence
of the considerable emphasis placed on strategies for
teaching practices, without taking into consideration
learning-related practices, attitudes, and perceptions.
This suggestion is supported by the participant teach-
ers’ perceptions that agreements and decisions during
the official meetings run by the administration mostly
centre on language teaching practices, implying a
failure to include in the flp actions associated with
learners’ attitudinal, perceptual, and interactional
behaviour inside and outside the classroom, as sug-
gested in Extract 11.

Extract 11

Sometimes I think that [flp] is not working, taking into account

that each student is different. Despite the fact it is been carried out,

I believe that learners should be considered in the decision-making

of those meetings. (Teacher 7, English)

This evidence reveals the need to address these
limitations and incorporate them into the flp since
learners, as foreign language speakers, are ultimately
the target of the current flp (Cooper, 1997).

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

Foreign Language Classes
and Learner Motivation
When asked about their perceptions as regards

the foreign language classes, 58% of the informants
(involving all the teachers and three learners) believed
that there were class time constraints which limited
the opportunities to integrate the four language skills
and thus affected learner achievement, as suggested by
Learner 9 (English) in Extract 12.

Extract 12

Maybe [the administrators] should extend the class hours because

sometimes we just practise grammar topics. We should also

practise the four skills. They should not reduce them; they should

increase them.

In this faculty, the class time for the foreign lan-
guages ranges from five to six hours per week. The
informants mentioned that the class time was reduced
by breaks of ten minutes per each hour of class that
are given to learners, and extra activities (e.g., confer-
ences, presentations, events, etc.) which require both
teachers and learners to attend. As a consequence, 25%
of the participant teachers and 25% of the participant
administrators suggested that the class time for the
foreign languages be increased by eight to 15 hours per
week, as suggested by Administrator 11.

Extract 13

We should use the previous schedule. That is to say, we should

increase the number of class hours. Six hours are few, in my opinion.

I think that the hours for language classes should be eight or ten

as in the old schedule.

It is important to note that in the previous pro-
grammes, the class time for the foreign languages was
about 20 hours per week, but learners were still perceived
to develop low proficiency levels.

Besides class time constraints, most of the participant
learners felt that the classes were not attractive or dynamic,
displaying negative attitudes towards the teaching
approaches that were adopted in the classrooms. In

line with these perceptions, Watts (as cited in Coupland,
Sarangi, & Candlin, 2001) raises the possibility that
strategies as part of lp may not yield the expected
outcomes if users or speakers do not endorse them as
part of their interests. The participant learners felt that
the unattractive teaching approaches that were adopted
in the classroom resulted in low learner motivation
towards learning the foreign language as follows.

Extract 14

[Language teachers] should make their best to keep students

motivated regarding learning the language because we all began

the semester feeling motivated and then we start feeling demotivated.

Then, they should find other strategies for their teaching methods.

(Learner 3, English)

In Extract 14, Learner 3 suggests an interplay
between learner motivation and language achievement
which has long been the focus of language education
research. However, this learner’s statement is not clear
as to the source of learners’ low motivation concerning
teaching practices. Nine of the participant teachers
felt that learners’ low motivation was caused by a reli-
ance on textbooks, as cautioned by Terborg, García
Landa, and Moore (2006). According to the participant
teachers, it is the administration which has imposed
the use of textbooks despite the fact that the content
of the textbooks is not related to the objectives of the
curriculum. In response to this reliance, 66% of the
participant learners suggested that too much emphasis
should not be placed on textbooks while practising the
languages, and that these resources should be used as
support materials.

Moreover, 27% of the participant learners felt that low
learner motivation was a consequence of the grammar
practice that has dominated the practice of the language
skills. This idea is supported by Learner 10 (French), as
suggested in Extract 15.

Extract 15

Teaching and learning grammar should not be the main objective

in our classes because there are other important language areas.

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras88

Velázquez & García-Ponce

In response to this, the participant learners suggested
that an integration of language skills is promoted in
language classes without prioritising grammar.

It is apparent from the above evidence that there
is a need to evaluate continuously the effectiveness
of decisions and strategies in the flp, and to suggest
alternative actions which will ensure the achievement
of learners’ foreign language competence. However,
in this context, exploring the implementation and
effectiveness of strategies inside classrooms may be
limited by the teachers’ “teaching freedom” (libertad
de cátedra in Spanish) which is promoted across the
university. The teaching freedom enables teachers, using
their discretion, to adopt the teaching approaches that
they consider effective in promoting language learning.
This also implies that the teachers’ teaching behaviour
inside the classroom cannot be influenced or imposed
upon. Administrators and language teachers claimed
that the effectiveness of strategies was thus assessed
through teachers’ comments on and discussions about
the strategies during the official meetings. In order to
continuously evaluate the flp, some administrators and
teachers suggested that peer classroom observations are
carried out in order to determine the effectiveness of
both teacher- and learner-related strategies inside the
classroom strategies. This strategy would not restrict
teachers’ teaching freedom since it would be carried out
as onlooker (non-participant) classroom observations
with a view to enhancing teaching and learning practices.

Language Resources and
Learner Autonomy
In this higher education context, different resources

and spaces are at the learners’ disposal to develop their
four language skills, grammar, and vocabulary. For
example, there is a self-access centre where a number
of materials (aural, visual, and written) are available to
learners. Other resources include: Language workshops
where learners are encouraged to practise and develop
the four language skills; international visiting assistants

with whom they can practise the communicative aspect
of English and French; and the library where learners
have access to research and teaching literature in English
and French. The possibility of practising the target
languages is acknowledged by Learner 7 (English) in
Extract 16.

Extract 16

Here in the faculty, there are different resources. Workshops are

carried out to promote each of the language skills in English or

French, or conferences during which you receive suggestions on

what to do.

These resources are in line with González et al.’s
(2004) recommendation that learners should be provided
with the resources and spaces where they can develop
their language skills.

However, despite the range of materials, activities,
and spaces that are available to learners in this context,
52% of the participants claimed that learners’ involve-
ment and use of these resources were generally low, as
suggested in Extract 17.

Extract 17

I think that they [students] do not participate as they should. I

think that they are not taking advantage of the resources, and it is

not the teachers’ fault. (Teacher 3, English)

Some of the participant learners felt that the main
reason of learners’ low involvement was again time
constraints, as stated by Learner 11 (English).

Extract 18

I sometimes do not use the resources because of time constraints. I

have been interested in attending the workshops with the American

girls, but I have not had time.

This evidence thus suggests shortcomings of the
flp which caused heavy workloads on learners, hin-
dering them from promoting autonomy, involving
abilities, language skills, time management skills,
and the like. In response to this, a participant teacher
suggested that time frames, namely, between 12:00 and

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

13:00, are established during which learners are free to
practise the language skills that need to be improved.
However, it may not be an effective strategy since the
participant learners’ responses suggested perceptions
that indicated negative attitudes towards the imposi-
tion of activities outside the classroom. Rather, their
responses suggested an endorsement for language
practice outside the classroom on an autonomous
basis, as suggested in Extract 19.

Extract 19

I ask my students to do extra activities on something that they

like in order not to impose the activities. They practise activities

of skills they need to develop. I try to encourage this because I

know that if there is something in which they do not like, they

are not going to be interested. Then, I try to motivate them.

(Teacher 10, French)

The above evidence suggests that the Faculty of
Languages provided learners with the resources where
they could develop their foreign language competence.
However, possibly motivated by heavy workloads on
learners, there was a perceived low learner involvement in
these resources. This perceived low learner involvement
links back to the lack of learner autonomy inside and
outside the classroom. Again, it seems possible that
learner autonomy and achievement are enhanced
if the strategies in flp take into consideration the
learners’ perceptions, and are formulated towards the
enhancement of learning practices inside and outside
the classroom.

In sum, the evidence indicated that the learners’
proficiency level was low. This evidence appeared to be
in contradiction with the objectives of the curriculum.
In exploring the learners’, teachers’, and administrators’
perceptions concerning flp, the evidence suggested
that flp decisions and strategies are implemented to
meet the linguistic goals of both the foreign languages.
However, as reported by the participant learners and
some teachers, it seems that the learners’ voices and
perceptions were not being included as part of the flp

processes. This was to some extent based on the learners’
feelings that the decisions and strategies in flp were
centred on teaching practices, suggesting in turn a failure
to consider and evaluate learning practices. It is possible
that the emphasis on decisions and strategies related to
teaching practices resulted in low learner motivation
and autonomy. Based on this evidence, we thus call for
decisions and strategies involved in flp work which
take into account learners’ perceptions and opinions
in order to ensure their endorsement and thus their
effectiveness to promote foreign language competence.

Conclusions
The primary aim of this paper was to explore and

evaluate the flp that the Faculty of Languages at the
uaem carried out to meet the linguistic goals stipulated
in the curriculum. As a starting point, the explorations
of the flp, firstly, considered the results of English
and French simulated proficiency exams that this
educational context administered to determine learners’
foreign language competence. The explorations then
examined perceptual data in order to develop a better
understanding of the flp strategies and decisions and
their effectiveness in promoting learner achievement.

The evidence indicated that learner achievement
in three semesters was generally low. Secondly, it
showed a mismatch between the proficiency levels
that learners majoring in English and French were
expected to develop. In exploring the learners’, teachers’,
and administrators’ perceptions regarding flp, the
evidence suggested that there were shortcomings in
the decisions and strategies concerning teaching and
learning practices which, in turn, influenced learner
achievement, attitudes, and autonomy.

The above evidence highlights the importance of
formulating alternative strategies in order to ensure
learners’ language achievement. Thus, in addressing
the third research question (“What alternative actions
should be taken into account by the community in order
to ensure the effectiveness of the flp and thus language

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras90

Velázquez & García-Ponce

learner achievement?”), this community needs to ensure
that alternative strategies are designed to enhance both
teaching- and learning-related practices inside, as well as
outside, classrooms. In particular, subsequent strategies
in the flp should take into account the teachers’ and
learners’ perceptions of the processes involved in teaching
and learning the foreign languages. This may, firstly,
guarantee that the strategies designed following their
voices and perceptions are implemented by teachers and
learners inside the classroom. Secondly, the teachers’
and learners’ endorsement for these strategies may in
turn result in enhanced learning practices which can
be extrapolated to environments outside the classroom
with a view to promoting learner autonomy.

The contribution made by this paper was threefold:
Firstly, the evidence showed that in order to ensure the
effectiveness of an lp, there is a need for continuous
evaluations which explore the implementation of
decisions and strategies. Secondly, alternative actions
need to be formulated in cases when strategies appear
to be rejected by the speech community. Thirdly, all
the members’ voices and perceptions of the processes
should be taken into consideration in order to formulate
(alternative) strategies which may result in a greater
endorsement and thus effective implementation in the
speech community, in this case, the Faculty of Languages
at the uaem.

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Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

About the Authors
Virna Velázquez is a professor at Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. She holds an ma in applied

linguistics (uaemex) and a phd in linguistics (unam). She has published articles related to the indigenous
languages situation in Mexico. Her research interests include sociolinguistics and second language acquisition.

Edgar Emmanuell García-Ponce teaches in the ma in applied linguistics in elt program in the
Departamento de Lenguas, Universidad de Guanajuato. He holds a phd in elt and applied linguistics from
the University of Birmingham, uk. His research interests are centred on the interplay between classroom
interactions and teacher and learner beliefs.

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Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras92

Velázquez & García-Ponce

Appendix A:
English Language Results: B1, B2, and C1

PET (B1)

Reading & Writing Listening Speaking Average

6.70/10.0 6.77/10.0 6.90/10.0 6.78/10.0

FCE (B2)

Reading Writing Use of English Listening Speaking Average

4.64/10.0 6.65/10.0 5.27/10.0 4.67/10.0 7.95/10.0 5.81/10.0

CAE (C1)

Reading Writing Use of English Listening Speaking Average

5.81/10.0 6.92/10.0 4.42/10.0 3.74/10.0 6.67/10.0 5.49/10.0

Foreign Language Planning: The Case of a Teacher/Translator Training Programme at a Mexican University

Profile: Issues Teach. Prof. Dev., Vol. 20 No. 2, Jul-Dec, 2018. ISSN 1657-0790 (printed) 2256-5760 (online). Bogotá, Colombia. Pages 79-94

Appendix B:
French Language Results: A1, B1, and B2

DELF A2

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Average

4.84/10.0 8.54/10.0 7.06/10.0 7.37/10.0 6.95/10.0

DELF B1

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Average

6.92/10.0 8.32/10.0 6.84/10.0 6.9/10.0 7.24/10.0

DELF B2

Listening Reading Writing Speaking Average

5.73/10.0 6.53/10.0 6.4/10.0 7.66/10.0 6.58/10.0

Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Humanas, Departamento de Lenguas Extranjeras94

Velázquez & García-Ponce

Appendix C:
Students’ Participation in Mock Exams of 2009

Level
No. of students enrolled

in the semester
No. who enrolled for

the exams
No. of students who

actually sat the exams

pet b1
(3rd semester)

94 76 62

delf a2
(3rd semester)

89 39 37

fce b2
(6th semester)

19 28 2

delf b1
(6th semester)

5 8 2

cae c1
(9th semester)

41 31 17

delf b2
(9th semester)

5 8 2