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Developing a guideline for language teachers at WIFI
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: May 31, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The language department at WIFI Steiermark was introduced more than 25 years ago. Since then the principles of adult English language learners have not really changed. However, the market has become more competitive than ever. Our language department can only keep up with its competitors by improving its standards and being one step ahead. Therefore WIFI Steiermark has decided to invest into new and innovative teaching methods and to redesign its language classes. This is only possible by sending our teachers to workshops abroad and by learning from other language teachers in Europe/worldwide and schools outside Austria. All adult learners need adult-appropriate content, materials and activities that speak to their needs and interests and allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities. So our teachers working with English language learners constantly need to think about an interesting and lively yet demanding and challenging lesson plan. Internal workshops and exchanging ideas among teachers at the institute have always been important and so we have earned a good reputation. However, it is high time the institute sent teachers abroad to gain more experience and see how English language lessons are taught abroad. Bringing back new ideas and innovative method from abroad shall encourage them to act as knowledge multiplers for our teachers as well as teachers all over Austria. All 6 participants studied Anglo-American studies at the university of Graz and have been teaching adults at our institute for 2 or more years. They have taught different levels in both social and Business English, but have always specialised in adult trainings. They have been teaching English at Wifi Steiermark, specialising in courses based on the CEF. So our key staff has many years of experience in teaching English in Austria, specific to English as a foreign language for all levels. Activities: 1.) Developing speaking skills: In this course language teachers will explore these issues, along the way experimenting with a wide range of practical and motivating speaking activities for learners studying at secondary schools or in adult education centres. Through the activities the teachers will also pinpoint some strategies to counteract problems such as shyness, fear of making mistakes and lack of motivation. 2.) Teaching advanced students: This is primarily a methodology course which also includes a language improvement element. This course will open teachers' eyes to a wide range of exciting areas to explore with advanced students. It will provide them with fresh and motivating activities and strategies to improve both their own and their students' English. 3.) Teaching Spoken English and Grammar: Traditional approaches to teaching grammar have been almost exclusively based on prescriptive written models of English. However, due in large part to the impact of Corpus Linguistics, it is now apparent that there are quite different rules, patterns and conventions for creating spoken discourse. Spoken grammar is now an emerging linguistic system. 4.) Language Teaching Methodology These are highly practical training programme which covers a broad span of teaching ideas and activities to enliven lessons and make them more motivating. 5.) CT Skills and Technology Enhanced Learning Course These are highly practical course is aimed at professionals who would like to develop methods to include technology in the classroom, school or other learning environments. Our 6 participants shall enhance their teaching performance and their language competences, enhance cultural awareness and develop a higher awareness of the European project and the EU values. This project will increase their capacities to initiate changes in terms of modernisation and international opening within our education institute. We also plan to develop a manual for the transfer of teaching English methods to language learning for adults at WIFI Steiermark. In this manual the methods will be adapted in order to fit the needs of language learning for adults and shall be available for all partners of WIFI Steiermark. On the basis of this manual, the project will organise future workshops and eLearning courses in order to train language teachers all over Austria to use these different methods when delivering their language courses. The training of our teachers will include the practical implementation of the method in language learners. So this project is expected to have a significant impact in many fields: it will produce a new innovative methodology for teaching foreign languages to adults, it will enrich trainers’ curriculum with a distinctive and modern updating , it will facilitate trainers’ exchange of good practices, using a common method and will enhance trainees’ motivation in reaching their goal (learning a foreign language) more successfully.
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