Parma University Language Centre (Italy) meets high school institutes in Prerov (Czech Republic): a teacher training experience

Parma University Language Centre (Italy) meets high school institutes in Prerov (Czech Republic): a teacher training experience In 2012 the project " Bridges to English " , co-funded by the EU and the Czech Republic within the " Education for Competitiveness " programme, led to the cooperation of the Language Centre of Parma University (Italy) and high school institutions in the Olomouc region (Czech Republic) in setting up a three-day in-service training course for teachers held at the Gymnázium Palachéko in Prerov. Participants in the course were ten Czech teachers of both English as a foreign language and other subjects who had a minimum B2 level of English and were interested in developing their professional competence by using learner-centred strategies in teaching, i.e. differentiating teaching methods by focusing on the learner(s) (in particular on types of learner, different intelligences, and learning styles), exploiting learner motivation and fostering learner autonomy. At the same time, the course aimed at offering the teachers a wider perspective on education by involving an institution which not only belongs to another EU state but is also linked to higher education (post-school). A year later, participants were asked to answer a questionnaire which included both closed and open-ended questions in order to provide feedback on the outcome of the course and to assess any impact the course might have had on their teaching. The present paper summaries the whole experience as a two-way process which ultimately resulted in an opportunity for self-reflection, increased self-awareness and professional development for both the trainer and the trainees.