Project Description

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Teaching a Foreign Language Today

  • Learn how to identify and assess the needs and expectations of your language learners
  • Learn how to organize an efficient course based on modern didactic techniques
  • Adjust, produce, apply and evaluate the appropriate teaching materials
  • Exchange teaching experiences, ideas and materials with experienced colleagues.
  • Become aware of your learners’ cultural and educational backgrounds and use their cultural specificities for the course requirements
  • Cope with different practical problems in your classrooms
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In this teacher training course you will learn:

  • Τo select didactic techniques for different groups
  • How to give feedback to learners and colleagues
  • To adjust, produce, apply and evaluate appropriate teaching materials
  • How to cope with different practical problems in the class

Requirements for all online courses:

  • Good internet connection
  • A headset with microphone
  • A Skype account
  • Speakers are recommended
  • Willingness and patience to learn
  • Try to practise what you have learned

Course Details

Overview 

Awarded GINCO-Grundtvig International Network of Course Organizers prize for Best Practice for Quality Care in 2012. 

This course includes the main pillars of language teaching: Assessment of the level of students, identification of their profile and needs, lesson and curriculum planning, didactic and text- vocabulary assimilation techniques, and observation of a Language lesson for adults. We discuss specific examples and teachers learn how to:

  • identify and assess the needs and expectations of their language learners
  • select didactic techniques for organizing an efficient course
  • adjust, produce, apply and evaluate appropriate teaching materials
  • cooperate with each other by exchanging teaching experiences, ideas, and materials
  • gain awareness of their learners’ cultural and educational backgrounds and apply their cultural specificities to the requirements of the course 
  • cope with different practical problems in their classrooms through the exchange of experiences and ideas with colleagues
  • guide other educators and organize activities relating to the target language and culture
Intended for 
  • Language teachers with no or little language teaching experience
  • Practitioners who have experience in teaching in non-formal contexts or wishing to teach a language they know at level C1 or their mother tongue as L2
  • Experienced language teachers who feel they need to upgrade their practical skills
  • Directors of language schools who plan curricula and address the needs of different learners’ groups
  • Other educational staff, assistant or shadow teachers
Methodology

The course is based on the principles of participatory adult education by embodying participants’ experiences and fostering the exchange of their ideas, proposals, and materials. Its focus is not merely on the didactic aspect of teaching but also on participants’ social and cultural knowledge gained through education and teaching to different target groups throughout Europe. 

During the course, the following techniques are used:  working in subgroups and pairs, role-play, lectures, guided conversation, brainstorming, language and educational games, and experimental activities.

The course also includes observation of a Greek language lesson for adults when participants will have the opportunity to assess the teaching of Greek in a specific context by applying techniques of observation, interviewing, and group discussion. 

Following course completion, participants will share their learning experiences.

Participants will be given hand-outs, original materials, lists of intercultural activities, and websites for teaching tools. 

The course will make use of videos, audio, objects, diagrams, photos, and games to enrich participants’ educational experience.

Preparation

Participants will be given information on the teaching languages today in Europe as well as lists of the most recent publications of didactic materials. 

Prior to the course, they will be asked to describe the institution they work for, the basic characteristics of their learners, and their own professional backgrounds. 

Participants will also be required to bring and present samples of the didactic material they use. 

Participants will be given some information about the course group (trainers, organizers, organizing institution, other participants). 

Organizers will be responsible for sending out all the necessary information regarding the venue and travel by e-mail or DropBox.

 

Follow-up               

Upon completion of the course, participants will be encouraged to form a network that will function as a meeting point where they will be able to exchange didactic materials and proposals as well as useful ideas for promoting language learning in Europe.

Content 

Day 1 

  • Presentation of the participants and their organizations
  • Presentation of the seminar programme and the trainers (educational contract)
  • Identification of the characteristics, needs and expectations of our students

 

Day 2 

  • Adult learners
  • Marking tests; curriculum planning
  • Planning a lesson/an educational meeting

 

Day 3 

  • Teaching a text:  Didactic and text assimilation techniques
  • Teaching vocabulary:  Didactic and vocabulary assimilation techniques
  •  Choice and assessment of textbooks and teaching materials

Day 4 

  • Observation of a Greek Language lesson for adults:
    Consideration of the course venue; discussion with administration, trainers, and students; observation of the lesson

 

Day 5 

  • Observation of a Greek Language lesson for adults: Consideration of the course venue; discussion with administration, trainers and students; observation of the lesson
  • Feedback:  Presentation of participants’ remarks, thoughts and
       conclusions
  • Evaluation of the seminar: Closing activities. Creation of a communication network

Tuition Fee:  450 euro /person for 5 days.

Trainers

Ifigenia Georgiadou.  Director of Studies at the Hellenic Culture Centre. Former director at the Cultural Development Society of Lesvos Island AEOLIS. Philologist (University of Athens, Faculty of Philosophy.  ΜΑ in Education and Human Rights, University of Athens and the University of London). 35 years experience in education. Training in using drama techniques in language teaching and in adult training. Author of 5 books, articles, and research papers on the teaching of Modern Greek as a foreign language. Teacher trainer and certified Master Trainer (certified instructor of teacher trainers).   Facilitator of seminars on teaching methodology, intercultural education, and peace education at the Hellenic Culture Centre, in various NGOs and other public and private institutions. Coordinator of various research projects on education at the European and national levels. Founding member of the Centre for the Arts and Intercultural Education (OSMOSIS).  External adult education consultant – evaluator to the National Organization for Certification of Adult Educators (EOPPEP), the State Scholarship Foundation (IKY), the Youth and Life Lond Learning Foundation (INEDIVIM), and two National Agencies for the Erasmus Plus Programme in Cyprus.

Nikos Konstantopoulos, MA, adult educator, responsible for distance education at the Hellenic Culture Centre, 20 years experience in language teaching and material production, EUROLTA Teacher Trainer (Certified Instructor of Teachers and adult educators), trainer in Greek sign language. He has studied History and Archaeology at the University of Athens, and has a MA in Education and Human Rights, from the University of Athens and the University of London. He also holds a MA in Cultural Technology from the University of the Aegean. He has extended experience in teaching refugees, migrants, and children and vulnerable groups.

The course takes place only as Face2face in Santorini for 5 days. 

Draft Schedule: 18/3/2022 until 22/3/2022 & 17/06/2022 until 21/06/2022 

Please ask the Secretariat to confirm the dates of this course.

Certification 

Our Centre issues a Certificate of Attendance for the teacher training courses held, to be submitted to private or public organisations and calls. The Hellenic Culture Centre is an officially recognized as a Lifelong Learning Centre and a language school by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religions (EOPPEP code number 2101782/ 2018 and 2308668/2018).

Working language

English  or  Greek is the working language for this course. You may be accompanied by your own interpreter from English or Greek and we are happy to welcome teachers of all languages.

Cancellation Policy

  • Free cancellation 90 days before the beginning of the teacher training course. 
  • In case of late cancellation participants can use half of their fees to register to any course of the Hellenic Culture Centre within one year time. 
  • Cancellation penalty: for late cancellation half of the fees for teacher training. 

Please consult the Secretariat.