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EUROLTA
- The European Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults
by Mandy Jore
EUROLTA
- The European Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults - was developed
by the ICC.
The ICC - International
Certificate Conference - is a Network. The ICC reflects and embodies a
spirit of international understanding and cross-cultural co-operation.
They bring together people actively involved in foreign language teaching
and provide them with a forum for exchange. They share expertise, services
and experience. The ICC has thirty members from thirteen countries
A key element in
the delivery of quality language teaching is the qualification of teachers.
The ICC has recognised
that many teachers of languages engaged in the field of adult education
- look for opportunities
to advance in their profession
- often do not
have the possibility to gain certification for the tasks they are fulfilling.
The ICC has therefore
developed a European wide framework for teacher development with training
schemes that lead to certification: Eurolta - The European Certificate
in Language Teaching to Adults - is a teacher training framework and a
certification scheme. It is a qualification for those who wish to teach
modern languages to adults.
Eurolta
- is recognised
by all member organisations of the ICC
- guarantees that
the holder of the qualification has received specific training in language
teaching to adults
- sets minimum
standards for quality teacher training for language teachers
The ICC is responsible
for maintaining these standards through
- the accreditation
of tested institutions
- the training
of auditors and assessors.
Eurolta is European:
the following organisations were responsible for writing the framework:
- Association
de Gestion du Réseau des Centres d'Etude des Langues des Chambres
de Commerce et d'Industrie (France)
- Comune di
Milano (Italy)
- Deutsches
Institut für Erwachsenenbildung (Germany)
- Deutscher
Volkshochschul-Verband (Germany) represented by Rheinland-Pfalz and
Hamburg
- Folkeuniversitetet
Norway
- Folkuniversitetet
Sweden
- Coordination
Office of the Club Schools (Switzerland)
- Royal Society
of Arts (Great Britain)
- Verband
Österreichischer Volkshochschulen (Austria)
- Verband
Wiener Volksbildung (Austria)
- Universität
Gesamthochschule Kassel (Germany)
The Framework
The ICC Teacher
Training Framework is a comprehensive system of guidelines regarding overall
aims, methodology, contents and objectives for teacher training programmes
as well as criteria for assessment and certification of trainees.
The Framework also
defines quality standards for training institutions and establishes a
system of quality assurance and development through the accreditation
of institutions and the training of auditors and assessors.
There are five content
areas:
- language learning,
- language and
culture,
- language teaching,
- planning and
evaluation
- self-assessment.
Trainees document
their competence by producing a dossier of tasks. The dossier should document
all five content areas and should include:
- the documentation
of at least one task carried out in the area of Language and Culture,
- the documentation
of at least one task carried out in the area of Language Learning Processes,
- the documentation
of at least two tasks carried out in the area of Language Teaching,
- the documentation
of at least one task carried out in the area of Planning and Evaluation,
- the records
of a lesson observed by the trainer for the area of Self-Assessment
and Development.
Further requirements
are:
- At least one
of the tasks should have involved learner observation.
- At least one
of the tasks should have involved a focused lesson observation (of a
colleague, or done on the basis of a video recording).
- At least one
of the tasks should have involved focused self-observation (preferably
on the basis of an audio- or video-recording).
- Up to two tasks
may have been carried out jointly with one or two colleagues, in which
case the individual trainee's contribution towards the group project
should be clearly evident in the documentation. The other tasks should
represent the trainee's individual work.
The
ICC Teacher Training Framework defines objectives, aims and procedures
for teacher training as well as assessment criteria for certification
at two levels: Level One and Level Two. Level two is available in a general
and a VOLL version.
Level
One
Level One training is intended primarily as pre- and early in-service
training.
- It provides
the trainees with the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, run and
evaluate language learning events independently within a given institutional
context and a given course framework.
- It will enable
them to reflect on and evaluate their performance as language teachers
in order to look for improved procedures for day-to-day teaching situations.
Core components
of Level One training programmes are
- drawing up lesson
plans
- detailed preparation
of particular teaching sequences or activities
- reflection on
specific teaching techniques or activities
- focused self-observation
of a teaching sequence with subsequent evaluation
- focused class-observation
(live or video) with subsequent evaluation
- observation
and analysis of an adult learner group
- analysis of
teaching/learning material
- adapting tasks
for specific groups of learners
- a teaching sequence
conducted by the trainee and observed by a trainer with sub-sequent
analysis.
The form and length
of a training programme is determined by the training institution. However,
the amount of time to be devoted to the training programme is likely to
be a minimum of 100 hours.
Level
Two
Level two general
involves a deepening of knowledge in the same content areas as level one,
enabling the trainee to work more independently.
For example in level one the trainee adapts material to work in a given
institutional context in level two the trainee is able to produce a course
plan and write course materials.
Level two VOLL involves
drawing up course plans and adapting tasks to cater for the specific language
needs of occupational / professional individuals.
The Training
Institutions
The ICC Framework
allows for various forms of delivery of the training programmes according
to different regional traditions, contexts and conditions.
The organisational
form, the duration of the training and the support systems offered to
trainees are defined by the organisations running such schemes.
However, they will
conform to the principles expressed in this Framework document, i.e. they
will
- subscribe to
the overall aims stated.
- adhere to the
methodological principles stated
- refer to the
content areas and the objectives specified.
Why
is certification necessary?
Because it allows
teachers to illustrate their competence.
Why
should you use Eurolta?
Because it is European-wide.
Because it is recognised by all member organisations of the ICC - and
some other institutions as well. Teachers with this qualification will
be given priority when applying for employment.
Because it aids
mobility - the ICC has forty members in sixteen countries.
Contact:
Mandy Jore, EUROLTA,
Rue Fausse Cave 1, B-5032 Gembloux.
mandyjore@eurolta.de
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