This project examines the beliefs of future teachers of English (Quebec) and Spanish (Mexico) regarding their own pedagogical practices about the use of non-target languages in class. An innovative research design, using tools such as vignette-based questionnaires, documents these beliefs by having participants play a consulting role with fictional teachers or learners. Data analysis reveals the set of conditions or contexts which, according to participants, would justify the use of non-target languages in classroom settings.

Thanks to a methodological approach that positions future teachers in a reflective stance, this study highlights their complex, and often contradictory, beliefs regarding monolingual and plurilingual practices in classroom settings. The study also underlines an important distinction between the use of non-target languages to communicate information about the target language (language as a vehicle), and as a resource to understand the target language (language as a resource).