Improving Foreign Language Teaching

Improving Foreign Language Teaching provides teachers and teacher trainers with a research-based structure for the effective teaching and assessment of second languages. As well as outlining a model for teacher development, the book identifies and exemplifies eight key principles for effective language learning, which can be used to guide curriculum design and decisions about classroom pedagogy. Improving Foreign Language Teaching also presents practical activities, related materials, and guidance on how student progress can be monitored and recorded. Based on the research of the authors and other international experts, together with the work of a consortium established by the authors and teachers in a range of secondary schools, the book focusses on the development of language skills and communicative competence. It also proposes an assessment system which better reflects how learners progress in language learning than current models. Taking as its starting point the challenge of a curriculum in flux and complex pedagogical approaches, this book offers clear research-informed guidance for effective planning, teaching and learning. It will be essential reading for all those concerned with the improvement of language learning and teaching in the secondary classroom.

Language teaching approaches, methods and procedures are constantly undergoing reassessment. New ideas keep emerging as the growing complexity of the means of communication and the opportunities created by technology put language skills to new uses. In addition, the political, social and economic impact of globalisation, the new demands of the labour market that result from it, the pursuit of competitiveness, the challenges of intercultural communication and the diversification of culture have opened new perspectives on the central role that foreign languages have come to play in the development of contemporary societies. This book provides an insight into the latest developments in the field and discusses the new trends in foreign language teaching in four major areas, namely methods and approaches, teacher training, innovation in the classroom, and evaluation and assessment.

A book for the curious and passionate 21st century language teachers and teacher trainers. Tired of reading about the wonders of technology enhanced project-based learning but not knowing where to seek inspiration to start to adopt this teaching approach? A team of in-service teachers, teacher trainers, pre-service teachers and researchers have worked together to present a simple, engaging and practical book to offer fellow education professionals stimulating ideas for their teaching practice. Joint efforts for innovation: Working together to improve foreign language teaching in the 21st century offers: Inspiring classroom projects and innovative teaching experiences. A compilation of digital tools and resources for the foreign language classroom. Pioneering proposals to open up the classroom doors. Problem-solving and inquiry-based tasks that promote team work. Honest reflections from practitioners on their classroom practices. This book includes accessible examples of teacher-led classroom research small-scale studies. calls for teachers to do research in their classrooms. personal accounts on the importance of school internships for pre-service teachers. This book is an invitation for practicing teachers and teacher trainers to be creative and to develop learning skills, literacy skills and life skills. Are you ready to become an innovative 21st century educator?

A book for the curious and passionate 21st century language teachers and teacher trainers. Tired of reading about the wonders of technology enhanced project-based learning but not knowing where to seek inspiration to start to adopt this teaching approach? A team of in-service teachers, teacher trainers, pre-service teachers and researchers have worked together to present a simple, engaging and practical book to offer fellow education professionals stimulating ideas for their teaching practice. Joint efforts for innovation: Working together to improve foreign language teaching in the 21st century offers: Inspiring classroom projects and innovative teaching experiences. A compilation of digital tools and resources for the foreign language classroom. Pioneering proposals to open up the classroom doors. Problem-solving and inquiry-based tasks that promote team work. Honest reflections from practitioners on their classroom practices. This book includes accessible examples of teacher-led classroom research small-scale studies. calls for teachers to do research in their classrooms. personal accounts on the importance of school internships for pre-service teachers. This book is an invitation for practicing teachers and teacher trainers to be creative and to develop learning skills, literacy skills and life skills. Are you ready to become an innovative 21st century educator?

The Practice of Foreign Language Teaching: Theories and Applications is a collection of essays which will appeal to teachers of modern languages no matter the level of instruction. The volume analyzes the concepts of foreign language education and multicultural competence, including the notion of the intercultural speaker. It also discusses the ways in which language education policy develops, by comparing the theories and purposes of foreign language education. The essays collected here highlight the various different methods and approaches in language teaching, and introduce more experienced teachers to new approaches and teaching ideas. The book will also provide language instructors with the theoretical background and practical solutions they need to decide which approaches, materials, and resources can and should be used in their L2 classrooms.

An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching provides an engaging, student-friendly guide to the field of foreign language learning and teaching. Aimed at students with no background in the area and taking a task-based approach, this book: introduces the theoretical and practical aspects of both learning and teaching; provides discussion and workshop activities throughout each chapter of the book, along with further reading and reflection tasks; deals with classroom- and task-based teaching, and covers lesson planning and testing, making the book suitable for use on practical training courses; analyses different learning styles and suggests strategies to improve language acquisition; includes examples from foreign language learning in Russian, French, and German, as well as English; is accompanied by a brand new companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/johnson, which contains additional material, exercises, and weblinks. Written by an experienced teacher and author, An Introduction to Foreign Language Learning and Teaching is essential reading for students beginning their study in the area, as well as teachers in training and those already working in the field.

This book provides a comprehensive, research-based account of how people learn a second/foreign language and shows how classroom practice can be organised around research-based principles. In the first part, the book provides up-to-date insights into the cognitive, motivational, and emotional dimensions of learning an additional language. In the second part, ten principles of high-quality additional language teaching are introduced and illustrated by a wealth of authentic, classroom-based examples. The book also explores implications for curriculum design and the assessment of additional language competences. A separate chapter is devoted to the ways in which innovation in language education can be fostered. Throughout the book, the question is addressed whether additional language teaching should primarily focus on meaningful tasks, form-based practice, or the integration of both. This book is a must-read for all those who are interested in improving the quality of second and foreign language education.

This book focuses on the most recent methodological developments and views in the field of foreign language teaching with issues concerning mainly the foreign language teacher. Its aim is to lead teachers to a better understanding of their own assets, beliefs, and values, and to help them to improve their competencies. It deals with both the methodological and language preparation of teachers in order to give them a deeper understanding of the process of teaching and learning languages at the primary level. The first part of the book presents several papers about different methodological issues, linking theory and practice. The education of the teacher from a linguistic and a methodological point of view is the main focus. The next section of the book deals with research in language teaching, teacher education, and language. Finally the last section brings together four papers dealing with classroom teaching and the role of observation in teacher education. Effective Foreign Language Teaching at the Primary Level is of interest to teachers, teacher trainers and student teachers as it analyses important questions such as the nature of language teaching, the specific skills needed, the creation of an appropriate environment for teaching, and the use of materials and resources. Teachers can find both theoretical reflections and practical suggestions for the classroom by experts from several countries in the light of most recent research and thinking.