Une approche européenne de la formation des enseignants de langues
A European approach to language teacher training

Over the past two decades new routes have been ploughed in the search for innovative approaches to the ever urgent problem of foreign/second language learning and of the promotion of plurilingualism.

The communicative approach, the seeds of which were set down by the Modern Language Project of the Council of Europe in the ‘70’s, has been enriched over time through the contribution of concepts in the field of pedagogy (e.g., concepts like contructivism, dialogic learning, experiential learning, socio-cultural theory) and in that of psychology (e.g., motivation studies) which has meant a gradual shift of attention away from a sole preoccupation with the product to teach (notions and functions) to a greater awareness of the process of learning itself and its contribution, in terms of quality, to the product of learning. Other factors are now impacting on teaching and learning through an awareness of the importance of learning environments themselves (multispace learning, formal, non formal and informal settings, ICT and Web 2.0 opportunities for virtual synchronic and non synchronic interaction), the need to promote ongoing learning as well as learning to learn (learner autonomy). In addition, the field of linguistics (and subfields) has contributed to shedding further light on language learning processes (information processing, noticing, memory). Also changes at the societal level, as a result of the waves of immigration throughout Europe, have highlighted the importance of the intercultural challenge – already identified as an educational goal to be reached through the communicative approach but which has recently acquired more visibility through many European projects.

Thus the last decades have represented a fertile period for reflection in the foreign/second language teaching field with the development of new innovative approaches for plurilingualism capable of facing new demands such as intercomprehension, integrated approach, CLIL, task-based learning, lexical approach and éveil aux langues.

The above mentioned approaches are not self exclusive. The plurilingual education of an individual can be promoted through all, even at the same time. Also, some can cross-fertilize, e.g., adopting a task based approach in CLIL, using Eveil aux languages activities in the Integrated approach, adopting Intercomprehension strategies in a communicative approach in order to speed up the promotion of the receptive skills in the language being learnt.

The Workshop focuses on one of the innovative approaches that is capturing interest across Europe at the moment – the CLIL approach. On the understanding that CLIL teachers need training and that the foreign language teacher/trainer is ideally equipped face this challenge on account of his/her professional training, the Workshop focuses on teacher training in CLIL situations taking the two teachers in the CLIL team – namely the non language discipline teacher and the foreign language teacher – into consideration. Focus will be on i. how the receptive and productive skills of the CLIL pupils can be developed, in tandem by both teachers in the team; ii. how the issue of grammar can be broached. Thus the Workshop will:

The workshop participants will draw up a list of useful strategies and will devise work sheets for reflection and to guide proposals to use with their teachers. The group will prepare their own Wiki where the material will be posted and where they can continue their reflections as a professional community after the FORLANG event.

Sous l’impulsion d’entités européennes (Commission européenne, le Conseil de l’Europe ou le Centre européen des langues vivantes) des dispositifs d’enseignement répondant aux orientations de la politique européenne ont vu le jour. L’élaboration du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues a notamment largement contribué à la médiatisation de la perspective actionnelle (apprentissage par les tâches) qui considère l’apprenant comme un acteur social. Un des enjeux de la formation aujourd’hui est donc de doter les enseignants des moyens à mettre en œuvre pour former cet acteur social qui « Compte tenu de la multiplication des échanges internationaux, (…) est un citoyen du monde en devenir susceptible de jouer un rôle d’intermédiaire culturel. » CLAUDEL, Chantal et LEMEUNIER, Valérie – Créer une banque de données de documents authentiques. Article à paraître.

Le dispositif de formation à distance pour les enseignants de fle/fls « PRO FLE » a été conçu pour répondre à cette exigence. La présentation de ce dispositif servira de point de départ à la réflexion menée au cours de l’atelier. Dans un deuxième temps, les participants seront invités à présenter un dispositif de formation innovant auquel ils ont été confrontés dans leur pratique de formateur. Pour finir, les participants s’interrogeront sur les moyens à mettre en œuvre pour favoriser la professionnalisation du corps enseignant.

Promoting active citizenship, equal opportunities/equity and social cohesion, intercultural dialogue, personal fulfilment and lifelong learning is at the same time a primary goal and crucial strategy of the European education and training framework policy to foster the growth of the European knowledge society up to 2020, as emphasized in the Council conclusion on “Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training » (2009/C 119/02). Since the beginning of the European education policy on mobility, this strategy has been acknowledged as one of the most effective means of implementing this framework, whose main actors and gears are teachers and educational institutions. In spite of its effectiveness this path is still littered with obstacles and difficulties. Hence, if mobility is an essential element of lifelong learning and an important means of enhancing education and lifelong learning (2009/C 119/02), how can the difficulties which often prevent teachers from joining European mobility programmes/actions be overcome?

During the workshop the participants will share their mobility experiences, both virtual and real, and:

Afin d’amorcer les débats et travaux de cet atelier, une rapide présentation de l’organisation de l’enseignement français au niveau scolaire (premier et second degrés) sera faite. Elle permettra de contextualiser les actions et programmes de mobilité et de dégager les convergences, divergences et synergies entre une politique nationale, voire régionale et la politique européenne.

La seconde partie de l’atelier permettra aux participants de réagir en fonction de leur propre organisation. Les cas pratiques développés par les participants serviront de point de départ et de trame à cette phase de l’atelier.

Dans un troisième temps, les participants seront invités à travailler en sous-groupes afin de proposer des stratégies visant à développer la mobilité, virtuelle ou réelle à leur échelon d’intervention. L’articulation entre les enjeux nationaux et les possibilités offertes au niveau européen fera l’objet d’une attention particulière. Cette troisième phase permettra de produire des fiches proposant des actions favorisant le développement de la mobilité.

The lecture will present basic European tools crucial for language education, such as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR), the European Language Portfolio (ELP), the European Profile for Language Teacher Education (EPLTE) and the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL). The European tools will be analysed against the background of new tendencies in the language policy of the Council of Europe and the European Union as outlined in the Report of the High Level Group on Multilingualism, in the Proposals from the Group of Intellectuals for the Intercultural Dialogue set up at the initiative of the European Commission as well as in other important European documents.

During the workshop we will find ways to make practical use of the European tools. Participants will look at the level at which the European tools can be used (international, national, institutional, individual) and at the way they can be incorporated in pre- and in-service teacher education in their own educational contexts of their countries and institutions.

We will trace similarities and differences between documents, investigate ways of selecting parts of the documents in order to aid curriculum construction and modularity in syllabus design, support the education of reflective teachers, develop professional competences, promote autonomy, help to cope with diversity and enhance social inclusion. We will also identify shared values and discuss controversial issues in teacher education.

Depuis 10 ans, le CECR a impulsé des changements majeurs dans l’apprentissage, l’enseignement, et l’évaluation des langues en Europe et à l’international. Il a inspiré de nombreux référentiels et outils européens.

Dans un premier temps, nous présenterons certains de ces outils (le Cadre européen commun de référence (CECR), le Portfolio européen des langues (PEL et ePEL), le Portfolio européen pour les enseignants de langues en formation initiale (PEPELF), le Profil européen pour la formation des enseignants de langues étrangères (PEFELE), Europass, etc.) et ce qu’ils ont apporté au niveau éducatif et institutionnel en France, en faisant le lien avec le panorama proposé au cours de la conférence.

Dans un second temps, nous continuerons par un panorama européen : les participants contribueront à cet atelier en apportant leur expérience quant à l’utilisation, la diffusion et l’intégration (ou pas) des outils et programmes européens dans la formation des enseignants de langues, ainsi que les questions que suscitent ces outils. Puis, ils seront invités à échanger autour de cette question : dans la prochaine décennie, quels enseignants de langues en Europe souhaitons-nous, et comment les outils élaborés au niveau européen (Commission, Centre européen des langues vivantes et Conseil européen notamment) peuvent-ils s’imbriquer avec les systèmes de formation nationaux en vue de parvenir à ce but ?

Nous rendrons compte de cet atelier sous la forme d’une fiche à remplir par groupe mentionnant les points forts et faibles dans l’enseignement des langues vivantes dans les pays respectifs des participants et proposant des pistes de remédiation.

Across the educational spectrum, assessment and evaluation are key topics, whether we are talking about the assessment of individual learners, the evaluation of course outcomes, or the evaluation of course programmes. This talk will outline some main issues surrounding evaluation and assessment as they affect the training and professional development of language teachers. In particular, the focus will be on questions such as:

What standards and criteria should be applied when evaluating the performance and competence of language teachers and trainee language teachers?

What methods of assessment are most useful in this context and how can trainers and managers become better assessors?

What relationship should there be between the evaluation of teachers’ language competence and evaluation of their competence as teachers?

What is the role of self-assessment and self-evaluation in language teacher education and development?

What is involved in evaluating a teacher training course or elements within it?

Reference will be made to existing international standards in the field, including the European Profile for Language Teacher Education, and those being developed by EAQUALS.

In this workshop we will concentrate on reviewing and developing standards, criteria and methods for assessing language teaching, especially the pedagogic competence (rather than the linguistic competence) of teachers undergoing training or professional development. The aims will be to map out an electronic manual for language teacher educators which will assist them in this important area.

In order to do this, we will need to:

If time allows, we will also work on a suggestions and tools for language teacher (and teacher trainer) reflection and self-assessment, and/or on means of evaluating the quality and the effectiveness of teacher training courses.

En 1985, le ministère français en charge de l’Education nationale s’est doté d’outils de mesure pour évaluer les compétences en français langue étrangère des non francophones. Des procédures de conception ont été mises en place, dès le lancement de ces premières certifications sur le marché mondial, afin de garantir, auprès des utilisateurs (centres d’examen et candidats), un haut niveau de qualité en matière d’évaluation sur le plan didactique. En 2002, de nouveaux critères qualitatifs ont été adoptés dans les processus opérationnels de conception de ces outils, tant sur le plan didactique que scientifique.

Cette intervention nous permettra de présenter la démarche qualité mise en œuvre par le CIEP, opérateur du ministère de l’Education en matière d’évaluation, depuis la mise en circulation des outils de mesure des compétences en FLE, devenues des certifications à fort enjeu social. Nous aurons également l’opportunité de mettre l’accent sur les procédures d’harmonisation appliquées aux tests et diplômes de FLE sur les niveaux du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues et, sur le plan psychométrique, d’aborder les analyses pratiquées sur les résultats des candidats et leur impact sur la qualité de ces outils.

Enfin, au courant des ateliers, nous vous proposerons un cadre général d’élaboration de construction de deux versions d’un mini-test répondant à de stricts critères qualitatifs et adaptées aux besoins d’un public défini. Cette démarche nous permettra, ainsi, de nous interroger sur la méthodologie d’élaboration et d’inviter les participants à en rédiger les spécifications.

The role of ICT in language learning and teaching has changed significantly during the last 3 decades, moving from “computer as teacher” in the 1980s, to “computer as mediator” in the early 21st century. As Web 2.0 tools become ever more familiar and ownership of mobile devices expands, teacher-created content and teacher-learner interaction is being increasingly replaced by learner-created content and learner-learner/learner-activity interaction, thus raising questions about the roles of teachers and learners and the locus of control in the classroom and beyond.

This presentation commences with a brief, chronological overview of computer assisted language learning (CALL), outlines the roles of technologies, teachers and learners during the different historical phases of CALL and describes the types of learning activities involved. Drawing upon research and practice from within language learning and teaching and from the broader field of eLearning, the suggestion that Web 2.0 tools are now widely employed by younger learners from “the Google generation” is examined, and the effect such tools may have upon pedagogical approaches to language learning and teaching is considered.

In addition to considering the benefits (to teachers and learners) of CALL, barriers including cost, access, accessibility and technical skills and issues such as the ethics of using learners’ social networks and/or mobile devices for educational purposes and learner – and teacher – privacy are examined.

Finally, the importance of considering carefully the reasons for employing ICT for language learning and teaching is stressed, with a focus on the need for making informed choices about the selection of pedagogical approaches, tools and activities.

Presentation Lecture5 [Lecture]]

This workshop focuses on how the Web, particularly Web 2.0 tools, can be used to support language learning and teaching. […]

Before the break, participants will be given a brief general introduction to some Web 2.0 tools and, drawing upon case studies, the ways in which they have been used for language learning and teaching, participants will be given an overview of these tools, including:

Audiographic tools (e.g. DimDim, Skype, Elluminate)

Blogging tools (e.g. Blogger)

Social bookmarking (e.g. Diigo, Delicious)

Virtual Worlds (e.g. Second Life)

Social networking for language learning (e.g. LiveMocha)

Wikis for collaborative projects

Useful websites about language learning and teaching (e.g.Lingu@net Europa), e-twinning/tandem language learning, survey creation (e.g. surveymonkey.com) and poll creation (e.g. Doodle.com), CALL organisation such as ALSIC, EuroCALL, JALTCALL, CALICO etc.

After the break, participants will work in small groups to share their experiences of and ideas about using Web 2.0 for their own, personal use and/or for learning and teaching purposes. Each small group will then make a brief presentation to share their ideas with the wider group as a whole, describing how they have used – or would like to use – these tools for language teaching and learning purposes.

The workshop will result in a list of:

ideas for using Web 2.0 tools to enhance language learning and teaching, along with tips about pitfalls to look out for

websites and Web 2.0 tools of relevance to participants’ future work.

If there is sufficient time participants will be offered hands on use of different Web 2.0 tools to gain experience or to develop their knowledge further for themselves. Should a wiki be available, participants will be able to use this to work collaboratively to produce a document of the outcomes of the workshop.

Cet atelier se propose d’analyser avec les participants les outils et les stratégies de formation des enseignants aux usages du Web 2.0 dans l’enseignement des langues. L’atelier se déclinera en deux parties.

1. Présentation des outils du Web 2.0 et de leurs usages pour l’apprentissage des langues

L’atelier proposera tout d’abord une typologie des outils web 2.0 et de leurs usages dans l’enseignement des langues : les outils de veille et de partage de ressources ; les outils créatifs et collaboratifs ; les outils de visioconférence ; les plateformes collaboratives.

2. Stratégies de formation des enseignants de langues à l’égard des outils du Web 2.0

L’atelier se prolongera par une réflexion en groupe autour des stratégies de formation des enseignants aux usages du Web 2.0 dans l’enseignement des langues. Chaque groupe réfléchira à la manière dont les enseignants de langues peuvent être formés grâce aux sites d’accompagnement ; aux formations en ligne ; aux formations mixtes ; aux formations en présence ; aux communautés de pratiques.

Une synthèse des contributions sera proposée en fin d’atelier.