How to Teach Languages Online – EUROLTA CERTIFIED course

At the end of the seminar, participants are expected to have acquired the knowledge and skills that will enable them to:

− develop awareness of socio-cultural and intercultural issues involved in language learning and integrate this knowledge in their online teaching,

− recognize and reflect the characteristics of learners with their individual learning styles, motivation, aims and needs, and take these into consideration in their online course design and delivery,

− understand the different skills required in managing processes in a virtual learning environment,

− acquire a repertoire of online teaching skills, techniques, and tools, and develop the ability to make judgments as to when and how to use them,

− develop the ability to make choices with regard to teaching/learning materials and to adapt or supplement them to cater for the specific needs of groups and individual learners,

− develop observation and analytical skills in order to evaluate the teaching and learning process in the online classroom, and to become aware of their own strengths and weaknesses in different areas of knowledge, skill and expertise,

− learn to plan in the short-term as well as in the long-term

− learn to understand the context of their teaching and acquire a clear view of what their responsibilities towards the learners are as defined by the institution they are teaching in,

− develop an understanding of online collaboration and develop learning tasks to encourage collaboration,

− develop a cooperative attitude both in relation to their learners and their colleagues,

− make use of the support and resources available to the teacher (online resources, reference materials, colleagues, communities of practice, etc.) as well as the resources available for further self-development beyond the training programme.

Methodology

T the training adopts an online learning approach that combines synchronous collaboration online (among trainees as well as between trainees and tutors) and asynchronous self-directed learning. Through awareness raising tasks, experimentation, reflection, adaptation and transfer of training contents to their teaching situations, the trainees develop their online teaching competence. They also learn how to continue their professional development after the training period is over.

The training programme reflects the general ethos of EUROLTA training courses which consists of a learning by doing and reflecting approach. Taking the “flipped classroom” idea, the participants read theoretical documents individually followed by active discussions as a group. In order to facilitate effective collaborative learning, the training programme involves the trainees in the facilitating process. It is characterized by a cooperative learning style and provides trainees their theoretical knowledge about online language learning, online course design and course delivery. The training programme encourages trainees to reflect their progress including feedback on their learning experience, problems encountered and issues that may arise during the training. The training programme integrates practical activities and the observation of teaching/ learning and subsequent analysis. It also provides trainees with the appropriate techniques for giving and receiving feedback as well as opportunities for self-assessment, peer – and tutor – assessment. Furthermore, the trainees evaluate the training programme.

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 adults but also on the participants’ social and cultural knowledge gained through education, and teaching to different target groups throughout Europe. During the course, the following techniques will be implemented: working in subgroups and pairs, role play, microteaching, lectures, guided conversation, brainstorming, language and educational games and experiential activities.

The course also includes observation sessions in language classes   for adults as well as practicum (teaching an adult language class & / or microteaching in the trainee teachers’ class). Before the observation sessions, participants will be appropriately prepared by the educators for the purpose and method of the observation. During this, participants will have the opportunity to assess teaching languages in the specific context by applying the techniques of observation, interviewing and group discussion. After its completion, participants will share their learning experience. Before the Practicum, they will cooperate with their trainers so that they prepare their work more thoroughly.

Participants will also be given hand-outs, original materials, lists of intercultural activities and websites for teaching tools and for promoting languages and cultures. Taking into consideration that the variety of educational tools and equipment offers to participants the opportunity to enrich their educational experience, within the course there will also be implemented the means of video, audio, objects (realia), diagrams, photos and games.

The topics and issues to be explored in basic teacher training programmes are grouped into the following content areas:

– Teaching Online

– Learning Online

– Planning and Evaluation

Through awareness-raising tasks, experimentation, reflection, adaptation and transfer of training contents to their teaching situations, the trainees should develop their teaching competence as well as appropriate strategies to continue their development after the training period is over.

Day 1 (Friday)

– Presentation of the participants and their organizations. Presentation of the seminar’s programme and the trainers (educational contract)

–      Ice Breakers online and group dynamics

–      How to use LMS in different platforms

– The EUROLTA FRAMEWORK AND INTERNATIONAL PROCEDURES

– Locating the characteristics, the needs and the expectations of our online learners

Day 2 (Saturday)

– Theories on online learning

– The role of the online tutor/ keeping up motivation and dealing with dropouts

– Coordination of collaborative tools and activities online (e.g. wikis, ppp, videos, prezzi, online flashcards etc.).

Day 3 (Sunday)

– Communication between tutors and learners and among tutors

– Planning a synchronous online language lesson

– Possible challenges and difficulties and how we face them- case studies

Day 4 (Monday)

–          Observation sessions in a class of adult learners (part a)

–          Observation sessions in a class of adult learners (part b)

–          Discussion with the trainers and the adult educators who were observed

Day 5 (Tuesday)

–          Observation sessions in a class of adult learners (part c)

–          Observation sessions in a class of adult learners (part d)

–          Discussion with the trainers and the adult educators who were observed

Day 6 (Wednesday)

–          Observation sessions in a class of adult learners (part e)

–          Observation sessions in an online class of adult learners

–          Discussion on the sessions observed

Day 5 (Tuesday)

– Possible technical challenges, questions on didactic materials and the logistics of the courses

– Correction of the assignments and giving feedback to the language learners, making learners aware of their own progress

– Evaluation of the seminar – Goodbye activities – Creating a communication network

Participants will be given information on the EUROLTA certification procedures. They will also receive articles on teaching a foreign language to adults. Before the course, they will be asked to describe the institution they work for and the basic characteristics of their learners and their own professional background. Participants will also receive some information for the course group (trainers, organizers and organizing institution, other participants). Organizers will be responsible for sending all the necessary information regarding the venue location and the trip. All the above will be communicated via e-mail and Drop Box.

Applying for a Certificate course on “Online Language Teaching to Adults” pre-requisites

·         To be a language teacher or a teacher who has at least  C1 level in the target language

·         to be a practitioner language teacher (with or without a formal qualification) or to be a prospective language teacher

·         To have access to a language organization which  offers online teaching practice opportunities (if this is not at all possible, the HCC may offer this possibility)

·         To have access to a language organization which provides them a syllabus, lesson plans and didactic materials for online lessons  (if this is not at all possible, the HCC may offer this possibility)

·         To have access to a network of teachers where they can have chances to meet more experienced teachers

To attend at least 80% of the course programme

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

6-10/8/2018 Megalochori, Santorini Island, Greece

30/11/2018 – 4/12/2018 Athens, Greece