Why does this matter for short-term language study abroad (STLSA)?
Teaching outside of the classroom isn’t like teaching inside the classroom. In fact, there’s a very steep learning curve. Even teachers who have a lot of experience in the classroom may not know how to help students in immersive, naturalistic settings. This means that the cognitive load is high.
A high cognitive load isn’t always a bad thing. But a cognitive load that’s too high impairs learning. The key to keeping the cognitive load reasonable is to reduce irrelevant stimuli and optimize your focus on what is germane. What is germane to you, as the teacher, is the pedagogy and making sure that the students maximize their time overseas. Short-term language study abroad is, unfortunately, riddled with irrelevant stimuli. It can be hard to focus on teaching when you’re worried about taking the London Tube for the first time with 18 adolescents. It’s important to make sure you use strategies to reduce the irrelevant cognitive load so that you can focus on what is germane. Until you’ve got the teaching down, you should leave the rest (i.e., worrying about taking the Tube) to others.