European Profile for Language Teacher Education Michael Grenfell University of Southampton, uk. Introduction

As the European Union continues to deepen and widen, and physical and fiscal barriers are slowly being broken down by increased integration, it is becoming apparent that linguistic barriers need to be tackled more urgently. If Europe’s ambition of free mobility for citizens across the Union is to be achieved, it is evident that language teaching and learning need to form part of this project.

The Research is based on two EU-funded projects. In 2002 a groundwork exercise was carried out to gather information on language teaching and learning in Europe. The exercise was undertaken with the objective of producing a discussion paper in 2003, intended to feed into the drafting of a policy statement by the European Union. This policy has three aims:

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  The promotion of linguistic diversity, and encouragement of European citizens to learn the less widely used and taught languages;
  
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  The objective that every citizen should be able to speak their mother tongue plus two other European languages (consistent with the EU White paper 1995);
  
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  The improvement of the quality and quantity of foreign language learning and teaching.
  

As part of the information gather exercises, a project was commissioned on recent development in the training of language teachers in Europe. Data for this report was collected from 32 European countries (EU, EEA and Socrates, Leonardo participants) over a four month period from February to June 2002. Examples of good practice were sought in terms of:

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  Tailoring of pedagogy to the needs of particular groups of language learners;
  
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  Greater emphasis on communicative aspects of language learning;
  
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  Introduction of intercultural dimensions;
  
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  Bilingual and multilingual education approaches;
  
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  Use of new technologies, and of autonomous, open or distance learning approaches in teacher training, as well as training in their use;
  
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  Use of mentoring systems in teacher training, and the training of mentors who are not themselves teacher trainers;
  
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  Increased focus on school-centred initial teacher training;
  
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  Europeanisation and internationalisation of teacher training programmes;
  
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  Improving the competence of teachers in the foreign language and culture they teach.
  

One of the outcomes of this project was a Profile. The professional profile summarised the key components in the training of language teachers, as identified in this study. It encapsulated examples of good practice and the aims and objectives toward which training should be directed. Taken as a whole, it represented a composite profile of the ideal twenty-first century language teacher in Europe, and of the training that might be offered to produce such a teacher. The Profile was therefore a synopsis of the areas that might be addressed in the European benchmark. It also set a standard against which actual teachers and training might be compared. Some of the items were already widespread practice, while others would be more difficult to achieve. The Profile was offered as an enabling context of organisational infrastructure, and it therefore referred to features of an infrastructure that would ideally support and accredit teachers.

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  To develop a Profile for language teacher education in Europe;
  
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  To move towards a coherent framework for co-operation in language teacher education;
  
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  To facilitate mobility, the development of new qualifications and mutual recognition of training components;
  
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  To provide a shared understanding of the issues and future lines of development.
  

The project set out to draw on the expertise of policy makers and educators in the field from a wide range of European countries, through a series of case studies, questionnaires and consultation. The following data sources were used:

1. 
   A consultative Expert Group;
   
2. 
   A three-stage Delphi Study;
   
3. 
   Case Studies;
   
4. 
   Theoretical Scrutiny and Further Exemplification;
   

Unlike the initial project, it did not seek to identify centres of innovation and excellent practice for it case study visits. Rather, it took the Profile into a range of countries and national contexts in order to see how current practice matched the profile items. We anticipated three distinct responses:

1. 
   we are already doing these items;
   
2. 
   we are not doing these items and would like to;
   
3. 
   we are not doing these items and do not want/ need or they are not appropriate.
   

Project planning, data collection and analysis took place over a six-month period.

The outcome of the second project was a revised Profile. It presents 40 key elements for language teacher education courses. It details how courses might be structured and delivered to give trainee teachers access to essential learning opportunities during initial and in-service teacher education. In particular, it focuses on innovative teacher education practices and ways of promoting cooperation, exchange and mobility among the new generation of Europe’s language teachers, whilst taking into consideration the application of the Bologna process and the Common European Framework scales.

The Profile is a valuable resource for European, national and institutional policy makers in the field of teacher education. It also addresses teacher educators who want to introduce trainee teachers to some of the European initiatives in language teacher education.

In addition, the Profile should be seen as a flexible framework for language trainee teachers and language teachers themselves, since it deals with independent learning strategies, life-long learning and new learning environments. The Profile is built on the conviction that language teacher education is a life-long process that should occur both inside and outside organised teaching and learning contexts.

The European Profile for Language Teacher Education – A Frame of Reference contains 40 items describing important elements in foreign language teacher education in Europe. The Profile is divided into four sections: Structure, Knowledge and Understanding, Strategies and Skills, and Values.

i. Structure

This section contains items describing the different constituent parts of language teacher education and indicates how they could be organised.

ii. Knowledge and Understanding

This section contains items relating to what trainee language teachers should know and understand about teaching and learning languages as a result of their initial and in-service teacher education.

iii. Strategies and Skills

This section contains items relating to what trainee language teachers should know how to do in teaching and learning situations as teaching professionals as a result of their initial and in-service teacher education.

iv. Values

This section contains items relating to the values that trainee language teachers should be taught to promote in and through their language teaching.

Below are the headings for the 40 Profile items. The full Profile, available in the main report and the brochure, gives a detailed explanation of what is meant by each of the headings, how they can be implemented in real terms and issues which arise from them.

1. A curriculum that integrates academic study and the practical experience of teaching.

14. Training in language teaching methodologies, and in state-of-the-art classroom techniques and activities.

22. Training in ways of adapting teaching approaches to the educational context and individual needs of learner

35. Training in social and cultural values.

Teacher Education Research

It is necessary to keep these theoretical concepts in mind when considering the Profile in Theory and Practice. In a sense, each of the models of referred to in the last paragraph might be seen to be present in European Teacher Education to a greater or lesser extent. There are questions of context, appropriateness, and application. For example, the Profile might be seen as a rather ‘top-down’ prescriptive list imposed from above. However, it can also be used as a references point, a source of reflection, or a check-list for programme development. One further extension project is to develop a core ‘portfolio’ of competences, knowledge and values required by language teachers which can be used as a tool for reflection by students during their initial training. This Portfolio for Language Teacher Education is intended to bring together the Profile, the Common European Framework, and the European Language Portfolio.

‘Lead’ centres working within the parameters of the Profile;

Organisational infrastructure: seminars, workshops, conferences.
Quality Issues

Quality Assurance and Enhancement;

Self-evaluation to the Profile items;

Bench marking;

Kite-marking.
Information Resourcing

Access;

Defining the competences of the ‘European Language Mentor’;

A model of mentoring within the context of the European Profile for Language Teacher Education;

Involvement of Network Centres to establish a European Mentor Team.

This type of research has certain characteristics. It is commissioned by the EU DG ‘Education and Culture’. It is carried out intensively over a short period of time with quite a large research team. A vast amount of information and data has to be analysed and reported. Issues of accuracy and interpretation are constantly at stake. Both the process and report are open to scrutiny by the EU office. There is a tension between academic freedom and the political issues involved in outcomes. A major advantage of this type of research is its topicality and practical relevance. Conducting the research itself leads to the development of a large research network which is subsequently invaluable for dissemination and follow-up work. It is therefore a useful vehicle for connecting research with policy and practice. However, there is obviously a wide range of practice across Europe. Questions of expectations and standards do arise; as well as entry requirements, not to say the current popularity, and hence demand, for language teachers in individual European states. Policy recommendations can never be prescriptive, and can only be offered as facilitative for individual states and training institutions. Furthermore, there are questions of ownership and integration within EU institutions themselves. There are currently various departments and agencies which deal with Teacher Education generally and Language Teacher Education specifically; for example, The European Council; European Centre for Modern Languages; DG ‘Education and Culture’; Expert Groups, etc. There are politics concerning the relationship between these in terms of moving towards an integrated policy. Moreover, who should do the research on future projects? Having developed a centre of expertise, it is difficult for Southampton to receive further EU sponsorship in the light of current sensitivity over corruption at the heart of the EU. As such, as well as giving rise to valuable product and developmental process, a project such as the European Profile raises a number of important issues about EU research, its funding, limitations and potential.

Further information (including the full research report) and copies of the Profile can be downloaded from:
www.lang.soton.ac.uk/profile


Address for Correspondence:
Prof. Michael Grenfell

School of Education

University of Southampton

Highfiled

Southampton SO43 7AN

UK

Tel: +44 (0)23 8059 34 72