Scholars have indicated a need for further research on effective pedagogical strategies
designed for advanced foreign language courses in the postsecondary setting,
especially in light of decreased enrollments at this level and the elimination
of foreign language programs altogether in some institutions (Paesani & Allen,
2012). This article seeks to contribute to the growing discussion regarding instruction
in upper-level foreign language courses. The authors present how the pedagogical
technique “Just-in-Time Teaching” (Novak, Patterson, Gavrin, & Christian,
1999), which has been successfully implemented in a wide array of academic
disciplines for over a decade (Simkins & Maier, 2010a), could be integrated in
different upper-division foreign language classes. Preliminary analysis reveals
that Just-in-Time Teaching not only facilitates the learning of content material in
advanced foreign language courses, but also can help create more opportunities
for oral and written language production, which are often lacking at the advanced
level (Darhower, in press; Donato & Brooks, 2004).