BY

There are so many people who were instrumental in helping me complete this daunting project. I owe a large debt of gratitude to each and every one of these kind and generous individuals. To my advisor, Dee: Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into helping me develop as a scholar. The example you set with your work is one that I will always strive to meet. To my committee members, Martha, Misty, and Kendall: Thank you for your time and for pushing my thinking in interesting and unexpected ways. To the amazing Elaine Tarone: Thank you for your unending words of support, willingness to meet, and belief in my work. To my participants: Thank you for the special gift of your time and for your openness. To my classmates: As stated in the dedication, I really could not have asked for better group of colleagues. In the face of challenge, we stuck together and forged on with humor, honesty, and respect. We supported each other when times were rough and celebrated when they were good. Although we may no longer be in the same location, I know that our friendships will continue to thrive. Finally, to my writing group, Heidi, Annie, and Candance: What a special privilege it was to work with you and get to know you. We got each other through prelims, proposals, and dissertations. We had a blast. And we made it! ii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my classmates. I could not have asked for a more wonderful group of partners in crime with whom to share my graduate school experience. iii Traditional foreign language remains a conservative and underdeveloped subject. Change-promoting efforts like ACTFL’s National Standards have had a limited impact on teachers ’ pedagogies (Glisan, 2012), and program-exiting student proficiency level