The practice of teaching a foreign language in Primary Schools in Italy was first officially provided for by a decree in 1985, but it was only in 1991 that the figure of the Foreign Language (FL) teacher was actually defined. The issue at that stage was how to select and train the prospective L2 teachers, and in-service courses were organised to provide these teachers with the linguistic and methodological know-how needed for the new professional role they were to play. At the time autonomy of the single schools was encouraged and the courses were managed locally by several education institutions cooperating on the project. Since then English has become the compulsory language to be taught in Primary Schools and the final objective of the teacher training courses has been identified as level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This has called for a different kind of assessment, which has evolved from tests devised by the teacher trainers themselves in the early courses, to internationally recognised certificates (Cambridge ESOL Preliminary English Test PET), finally to a more specific certificate devised by test designers in the University Language Centres, now involved in the project. This paper aims to describe how teacher training and assessment have changed in Parma, and illustrate how the current Certificate of English for Primary Teachers (CEPT), devised by the Language Centres of Modena and Reggio Emilia and of Parma, has developed into a regional project, on the basis of a Teacher Profile which takes into account the CEFR, the European Language Portfolio (ELP), the Italian school system and requirements, the needs of children learning English as a foreign language, and the needs of future teachers of English attending an in-service course.
L’introduzione dell’insegnamento della lingua inglese nella scuola primaria in Italia ha portato alla necessità di definire una nuova figura di insegnante, e contemporaneamente ha richiesto l’attivazione di corsi di formazione in servizio che si concludano con una valutazione delle competenze acquisite e portino all’abilitazione all’insegnamento attraverso il conseguimento di una certificazione ad hoc. Per soddisfare le esigenze che si sono venute a delineare dal 1985 ad oggi, i Centri Linguistici delle Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia e di Parma hanno collaborato nell’ideare il CEPT. Viene qui descritta l’esperienza di Parma in un’ottica regionale di formazione e valutazione delle competenze linguistiche dei futuri insegnanti di inglese alla scuola primaria.
Towards a standardised qualification for primary school teachers of English as a foreign language: The experience of Parma (Italy) / SCOTT-MONKHOUSE, Anila Ruth. - STAMPA. - 1:(2010), pp. 37-38. (Intervento presentato al convegno 11th International Cercles Conference: University Language Centres - Language Policy and Innovation tenutosi a Helsinki nel 2-4 settembre 2010).
Towards a standardised qualification for primary school teachers of English as a foreign language: The experience of Parma (Italy)
Scott-Monkhouse Anila Ruth
Writing – Original Draft Preparation
2010-01-01
Abstract
The practice of teaching a foreign language in Primary Schools in Italy was first officially provided for by a decree in 1985, but it was only in 1991 that the figure of the Foreign Language (FL) teacher was actually defined. The issue at that stage was how to select and train the prospective L2 teachers, and in-service courses were organised to provide these teachers with the linguistic and methodological know-how needed for the new professional role they were to play. At the time autonomy of the single schools was encouraged and the courses were managed locally by several education institutions cooperating on the project. Since then English has become the compulsory language to be taught in Primary Schools and the final objective of the teacher training courses has been identified as level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This has called for a different kind of assessment, which has evolved from tests devised by the teacher trainers themselves in the early courses, to internationally recognised certificates (Cambridge ESOL Preliminary English Test PET), finally to a more specific certificate devised by test designers in the University Language Centres, now involved in the project. This paper aims to describe how teacher training and assessment have changed in Parma, and illustrate how the current Certificate of English for Primary Teachers (CEPT), devised by the Language Centres of Modena and Reggio Emilia and of Parma, has developed into a regional project, on the basis of a Teacher Profile which takes into account the CEFR, the European Language Portfolio (ELP), the Italian school system and requirements, the needs of children learning English as a foreign language, and the needs of future teachers of English attending an in-service course.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
