Peer Mentoring Second Language Teachers: A Mutually Beneficial Experience? Scott P. Kissau University of North Carolina at Charlotte Elena Tosky King University of North Carolina at Charlotte Abstract: Studies have shown that there are not enough qualified foreign language and English as a second language teachers in this country. To increase the number of new second language teachers who remain in the profession, and to promote their use of best teaching practices, the ACTFL has identified mentoring as a national research priority. The importance of mentoring is further reflected in the new national standards estab- lished by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) for teacher education programs. To address CAEP standards for advanced licensure programs and meet the needs of new second language teachers, a peer mentoring project was initiated. Using a mixed methodology, the researchers investigated the perceived benefits of a partnership between 27 mentors in an advanced licensure second language teaching program and 27 mentees, many of whom were practicing “lateral entry” second language teachers who had not yet completed second language teacher training. The results suggested that, when both parties shared content area expertise and worked together in a nonjudgmental, supportive manner, the partnership was mutually beneficial. The results also suggested that the relationship can be facilitated when both partners share certain commonalities, including age and amount of previous teaching experience. Key words: foreign/second language teacher preparation, mentoring, mixed method- ology, preparation and certification, teacher preparation standards Research has shown that almost 50% of new teachers abandon the profession within their first five years of teaching (Ingersoll & Smith, 2003; Smith & Ingersoll, 2004). In addition to the instability and disruption such high turnover in new teachers may cause in a child’s education or in a program’s continuity, there are also clear financial Scott P. Kissau (PhD, University of Windsor, Canada) is Associate Professor of Foreign Language Education and Chair of the Department of Middle, Secondary and K‐12 Education, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Elena Tosky King (PhD candidate, University of North Carolina at Charlotte) is a doctoral candidate in Curriculum and Instruction in Urban Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Foreign Language Annals, Vol. xxx, Iss. xxx, pp. 1–18. © 2014 by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. DOI: 10.1111/flan.12121 Foreign Language Annals Á VOL. xxx, NO. xxx 1