Developing linguistics educators: A qualitative study of graduate linguist professional development

Abstract:In this article, we report on findings from an ongoing study of graduate students in linguistics regarding the approaches they take to develop as professional educators and how faculty and programs in linguistics can better support graduate student teaching professionalization. In focus groups with current linguistics graduate students, we identified three key themes: formal institutional training, mentor relationships (i.e. instructor and TA relationships), and peer relationships. Mentor relationships provide students with a range of experiences and degrees of support across faculty, which influences how they develop as educators. Peer socialization is also a critical component of growth and well-being, providing graduate student teachers with both practical guidance and ongoing emotional support. We illustrate this point with a case study—a weekly teaching journal club for graduate students within our own Linguistics program, which became an important space for pedagogical development. While our results point to graduate student success and resilience through socialization, they also illustrate a common issue of professionalization in academia: students gain professional skills through noninstitutional mechanisms. Teaching professionalization largely falls to the ‘hidden curriculum’, which puts students at a disadvantage, especially those from minoritized backgrounds (Smith 2013). We join other scholars in our field in calling for greater institutionalized mechanisms for professionalization to promote equitable access to vital skills for graduate students (Calhoun 2020). To that end, we conclude by suggesting ways in which faculty and departments can close this gap in graduate training.