How To Train Language Teacher Trainers

In recent decades, considerable European investment has been devoted to the training of language assistants, full-time teaching staff and mentors, while the new figure of the professional “language teacher trainer” (LTT) has emerged. It is becoming increasingly important that future LTTs are not simply more expert teachers, or scholars competent in the various relevant disciplines, but professionals who are aware of their role, who know the development of teacher training in Europe and beyond, and who are able to compare various experiences in different training contexts. This volume is aimed at LTTs who wish to become aware of the main issues, tools and research now available for their daily practice and professional role, and for lecturers who teach prospective language teachers. Language teachers with long experience might also find useful information on how they can develop into LTTs. The book also offers an overview of recent European projects that could be relevant to principals of language departments who are involved in the assessment and performance management of their staff. Finally, the volume contains research suggestions for academic and PhD students who are investigating current issues in language teaching methodology, teacher training, lifelong learning and professional development. Contributors include: Mercè Bernaus, Nick Charge, Jim Cummins, Pierangela Diadori, Michael Kelly, Hanna Komorowska, Laura Muresan, Joe Navarro, Brian North, Mario Pace, Fiorella Perotto and Richard Rossner.

This book contains many suggestions for practical work and discussion, and includes an extended case-study.

This book contains 40 tasks of two types: discussion tasks and classroom-based tasks.

Beyond Training examines the nature of second language teacher development and how teachers' practices are influenced by their beliefs and principles. It seeks to move discussion of language teacher development beyond the level of "training," which reflects a technical view of specific teaching practices. Instead, it takes a more holistic approach to teacher development built on the notion of the teacher as critical and reflective thinker. The argument pursued throughout is that teacher education needs to engage teachers not merely in the mastery of techniques, but in an exploration of the knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes that underly their teaching practices.

'Language Teacher Education' is an introduction to language teacher training and development for teachers and providers in pre-service and in-service programmes. The text outlines the main theories of human learning and applies them to teacher education. Based on a broadly social constructivist perspective, it suggests a framework for planning pre-service and in-service programmes, and is illustrated both with case studies from a range of training situations around the world and appendices containing teacher education materials. Language Teacher Education is intended to inform readers' practical decisions and to help them build their own theories of teacher learning.

The development of language teacher trainers is an area which has received growing attention in recent years as it has become recognised that ad hoc mentods of preparing trainers for new and demanding roles are no longer relevant in the modern world.

This book provides a comparative perspective on foreign language teacher training in France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The training process of state secondary school foreign language teachers is considered from two perspectives for each country. The current training routes through which necessary teaching qualifications are obtained are described with respect to national policy for foreign language learning, the nature of providers, and training programme organization and contents, with details of any practice. These descriptive dimensions are accompanied by an evaluation of the degree to which the training fits the purpose of teaching foreign languages in state secondary schools. The descriptive and evaluative approaches to FL teacher training provide a novel overview of the current successes and challenges in the field, giving an understanding of terrains not easily accessible to the general English-language readership. The book highlights elements of good practice found across nations, and contributes to shedding light on the enduring mystery of why certain nations seem to be managing multilingualism better than others. As such, it provides a reference for interdisciplinary discussions between applied linguists, education researchers and practitioners, and policymakers.