PDF Collection of case studies on examples of good practice in ...

EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MODERN LANGUAGES CENTRE EUROPEEN POUR LES LANGUES VIVANTES

Nikolaiplatz 4, A-8020 Graz, Tel.: +43-316-32 35 54, Fax: +43-316-32 35 54 4, e-mail: information@ecml.at

Collection of case studies on examples of good practice in Teacher Education

with a focus on organisational aspects and integrated concepts of language education

Richard Easton

? July 2001

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Foreword

The opportunity to be involved with colleagues from a range of states and from a range of sectors has given me a great deal of pleasure, both professional and personal. I therefore wish to express my sincere thanks to colleagues for their hard work and support in producing this collection of case studies.

The primary purpose in producing this collection of case studies in Teacher Education is provide a mechanism for sharing good practice. One hopes that this will afford colleagues an opportunity to reflect on the ideas which lie behind this good practice. In the Information Age it is essential that we have access to current information and practices as they relate to our professional lives. The range of geographical and sector spreads would seem to provide some breadth and depth to our insights into the working practices of colleagues from some of the member states.

At a time when there is considerable change in education and in society in general it is important that we maintain a sense of useful traditions in scholarship and in maintaining the place and importance of the first language. The individual self-construct is indivisible from L1. Similarly, we must also recognise the highly inter-dependent relationship between L1 and L2/L3. To do this effectively we need to have teachers, tutors, lecturers, facilitators, the titles is endless! who have a secure grasp of languages in use and also a secure grasp of the methodologies required to develop confident and autonomous learners.

In the Information Age, if we wish to make useful contributions to society, we all have to be lifelong learners across a range of disciplines. At no point hitherto has there been such a compelling need for citizens to have the ability to communicate in a number of languages. This can only be achieved if there is a very clear view of what language educators have to do and how best they can be prepared to discharge their professional duties. It would be appropriate to point colleagues to the work done by the Think Tank, led by Frank Heyworth, on the roles and functions of teachers in the coming decade.

There is no doubt one of the major developments in language education is the use of ICT. The teacher as facilitator has to draw on all her professional expertise to develop appropriate approaches to teaching and learning. While making use of the new technologies to develop and enhance new approaches to learning she is also helping to build and develop new learning communities which lie beyond the `walls' of her classroom.

[see also: workshop report 6/99 "Innovative Approaches to the Organisation and Set-up of Language Education", project description 2.1.2, project description 2.1.1 on the ECML website: , links DocCentre, Workshop reports; Activities]

European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), Graz

4 The studies in this collection give interesting perspectives on such important themes as lifelong learning, learner autonomy, partnership between professionals and the teacherclient relationship. It is abundantly clear that the message which emerges from this collection is that the individual must be equipped to play a full and useful part in a plurilingual world. It is the job of the teacher educator and teacher to prepare, using the practice, the citizens of tomorrow. I am sure that colleagues will find these studies stimulating and challenging.

European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), Graz

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