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Continuing education for teachers of English has in recent years become increasingly difficult to obtain in Paris. Until just a few years ago, expatriate anglophone teachers here had a substantial number of in-service teacher training courses at their disposal, thanks to such organizations as the British Council and the USIS (United States Information Service). Now, due to budget cuts, the number of courses and seminars available to them have been greatly reduced. Most courses for anglophone teachers today are focused on primary education. Now that France has introduced English into primary schools, teachers with experience in adult and business education are seeking new skills to enable them to work at the primary level. Some observers think that English is moving away from being a foreign language like other foreign languages, to becoming a core competence like literacy. One implication is that there may well be an increase in the teaching of subjects through English, rather than as a subject itself. "This has implications for the purpose and content of teacher training," said Roger Budd, Deputy Director of the British Council. To help fill the need for teacher training, Parler Parlor French/English Conversation Group is beginning a new series of workshops for English language teachers. The first in this series of workshops taught by TEFL instructor Jackie Garcon deals with the use of video in English language learning. "Video is a very powerful and attractive classroom tool that teachers are not quite sure how to fully exploit," notes Garcon. "It can be used to develop reading, writing, speaking and other essential language skills, such as vocabulary." The workshop will take a theme-based approach to the use of video in language learning and will examine how video can be used with authentic sources to develop listening and speaking skills that encourage learners to engage in real communication. Expanding the Use of Video A Workshop for Language Teachers by Jackie Garcon, Apr 9, 6-9pm, the American Church in Paris, 65, quai d'Orsay, 7e, Metro Invalides, 185F TTC for individuals, 225F TTC for companies and language schools, advance reservations and payment necessary, http://www.parlerparlor.com Adrian Leeds, email: leeds@wfi.fr, 01.40.27.97.59, Volterre-Fr French and English Language Resources. See Web Page: Teacher Training for English as a Foreign Language, http://www.wfi.fr/volterre/teachtrain.html, WebFrance International. |
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