Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy Jana Kochanowskiego

w Kielcach

NAUCZYCIEL I UCZEŃ
W PRZESTRZENI EDUKACYJNEJ

Redakcja naukowa
Jolanta Szempruch, Elżbieta Zyzik,
Mirosława Parlak

Kielce 2011
© Copyright by Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy Jana Kochanowskiego
w Kielcach, Kielce 2011

ISBN 978-83-62196-15-9

Recenzent: prof, drhab. Czeslaw Banach

Publikacja dofinansowana przez Wojewodę Świętokrzyskiego Bożentynę Pałkę-Korubę

oraz Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Świętokrzyskiego

Publikację wydano staraniem Gminnej Komisji Rozwiązywania Problemów Alkoholowych

w Kielcach, Świętokrzyskiego Centrum Profilaktyki i Edukacji

Redakcja językowa: Krzysztof Malczewski

Korekta: LIBRON
Projekt okładki: LIBRON
Skład: LIBRON

Wydawnictwo LIBRON —Filip Lohner

ul. Ujejskiego 8/1
30-102 Kraków
tel. 12 628 05 12
e-mail: office(7/ libron.pl
www.libron.pl
Agnieszka Szplit
Uniwersytet Humanistyczno-Przyrodniczy Jana Kochanowskiego
W Kielcach

E n g l is h La n g u ag e T each ers’ C om petence

in t h e E uropean U n io n a n d B eyond

Over the past decade, the European Union has increased its attempts to improve
language teaching and learning It recognised the key role o f languages in the con­
struction o f European unity, hence, it has undertaken a wide range o f initiatives to
prom ote the teaching and learning o f foreign languages in Europe. The White Paper.
Teaching and Learning: Towards the Learning Society (1995) emphasised diat every Euro­
pean citizen should be able to speak at least two Community languages in addition to
his or her own m other tongue. Hence, language teachers play a major part in achieving
objectives o f the European Union through improving foreign language learning and
awakening learners’ interest in languages.
M odern societies have become dependent on the professions in all die fields,
as diey dominate our wodd. A bbott1 claims they heal humans bodies, measure dieir
profits and save their souls. The document entitied The Teachers of English to Speakers of
Other Languages (TESOL) Guidelines12 states that teaching English to speakers o f odier
languages is a professional discipline and requires specialized training.
The importance o f die professions is reflected in legal requirements concerning
language teachers education in Poland. The state sector and die Ministry o f Educa­
tion require from future teachers a university degree —Bachelor or Master in the lan­
guage taught. Additionally, English teachers may hold university or college degree in
other subjects, but are required to have Certificate o f Proficiency in English and com ­
plete a teacher training course recognised by Polish Ministry o f Education. There are
no specific regulations regarding minimum teacher qualifications in privately owned
language schools, which set their own requirements based on dieir status and accredi­
tations.
Professional standards for teachers receive more and more attention in Europe
and all over die wodd. According to Australian Institute for Teaching and School
Leadership, die standards are ’’the articulation o f what a profession believes its m em­
bers should know and be able to do, based on values, die experience o f highly re­
garded practitioners and research in the field” 3. Usually these expectations concern
the knowledge, understanding and values o f teachers, and hence they build a tool for

1 A . A b b o tt, The system of professions. A n essay on the dimsion of expert labor, C h ic a g o 1 9 8 8 , p . 13.

2 TESOL Position Statement on TeacherQuality in the Field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, 2 0 0 3 : www.
c e s l .a r i z o n a . e d u / d o c s / T T T e a c h e r Q u a l i f i c a t i o n s . p d f .

3 A s t a t e m e n t a b o u t p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a n d a r d s f r o m t h e d i r e c t o r s o f T e a c h i n g A u s t r a li a , A u s t r a l i a n I n s t i t u t e f o r T e a c h ­
i n g a n d S c h o o l L e a d e r s h ip , 2 0 0 6 : h t t p : / / w w w . a i t s l . e d u . a u / t a / g o / h o m e / b o o k l e t s , p . 1.
124 Agnieszka Szplit

self-reflection and professional development. The above- mentioned Institute defines

three purposes o f national standards for teachers. They4:
1. provide inspiration to teachers and clarify die expectations o f the profession
about the practice;
2. offer guidance to professional teachers in improving their professional practice
through self-reflection, professional learning and other methods o f personal develop­
ment; and
3. increase public recognition o f the quality o f die profession and understanding
o f die complexity o f the work o f teachers.
In many countries the development o f teacher standards caused in many coun­
tries has provoked heated discussions and brought concerns. Sachs (2003), for exam­
ple, claims tliat standards are used to regulate teaching and to control teachers rather
than to develop teaching. Dading-Ham m ond (1999) also emphasizes that standards,
like all reforms, hold their own dangers. The author argues that practice could become
constrained by the codification o f knowledge and that access to practice could be­
come overly restricted on grounds not directly related to competence.
In die literature one may identify two approaches to standards for the teaching
profession5: regulatory approach, focusing mainly on measuring ‘efficiency’ and ‘ef­
fectiveness’ and developmental approach, emphasizing opportunities for profes­
sional learning. Cutter- Mackenzie presents the dualism or dichotomy in a table after
Sachs6:

Table 1. Two main approaches to standards for the teaching profession

Developmental Approach Regulatory Approach

• A student-centered approach to teaching and • A focus on accountability

learning • A technical approach to teaching
• Systematic forms of monitoring for the pur­ • Monitoring teacher performance
poses of accountability • Compliance
• A view that teachers should be life long • External imposition of the standards by
learners a government instrumentality
• A commitment to teachers improving their
professional knowledge and practice.
Advocating the possibilities of professional
learning communities to transform teachers’
knowledge and practice

In the United Kingdom and USA die regulatory approach is widely used. Darling-
Hammond (1999) claims diat this approach results in the decline o f teacher autonomy
and professional identity.

4 Ibidem, p. 2.
5 P. Mahony, I. Hextall, Reconstruction teaching: standards, performance and accountability, London 2000.
6A. Cutter-Mackenzie, B. Clarke, P. Smith, A. Discussion Paper: The Development of Professional Teacher Standards and Pro­
fessional Learning in EnvironmentalEducation, 'Australian Journal o f Environmental Education” 2008, No 24, p. 5.
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European LTnion and Beyond 125

One o f the most well-known frameworks is the one created by the United Kingdom
Teacher Development Agency (TDA) for Schools in 2007. It provides die framework
for teachers’ careers development and demonstrates what standards should be met for
each stage o f development. TDA provides the system o f standards achieved by teachers.
They are7:
1. the award o f Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (Q)
2. teachers on the main scale (Core) (C)
3. teachers on the upper pay scale (Post Threshold Teachers) (P)
4. Excellent Teachers (E)
5. Advanced Skills Teachers (ASTs).
In the TDA document entitied Professional Standards for Teachers one may find
cumulative descriptors o f standards for teachers o f any subject at school level in Eng­
land and Wales. They are presented across die above-mentioned five levels or career
stages, and cover the main three areas8:
1. “Professional attributes”, which include e.g. relationships, communicating, or
professional development,
2. “Professional knowledge and understanding”—aspects such as teaching and learn­
ing, subjects and curriculum, as well as achievement and diversity,
3. “Professional skills” in which the authors enumerate e.g. planning, teaching, learn­
ing environment.
What is clear even form the outline o f the TDA framework is its assessment pur­
pose and hence its regulatory character. I lowcvcr, these headings are almost identical
to die headings o f the three sections (out o f 4) o f die European Profile for Language
Teachers (‘Knowledge and understanding’; ‘Strategies and skills’; ‘Values’) described in
detail further.
Another interesting example o f a framework is devised by the UK agency FENTO
(now subsumed under Lifelong Learning UI<). Itprovides die standards for continuing
education o f teachers that are presented in the figure below9.

7 T r a i n i n g & D e v e l o p m e n t A g e n c y f o r S c h o o ls , Professional StandardsforTeachers, 2 0 0 7 : h t t p : / / w w w .td a .g o v .u k /te a c h -

e r s / p r o f e s s i o n a l s t a n d a r d s / d o w n lo a d s , a s p x .

8 R. R o ssn e r, Methods of TeacherAssessment and the I iAO U ALS Profiling Gńdfor Language Teachers, I n t e r n a t i o n a l M e e t­
i n g o n T r a in in g , Q u a li ty a n d C e r t i f i c a t i o n i n F o r e ig n L a n g u a g e T e a c h in g , S ie n a 2 0 0 9 , p . 2.

9 F u r th e r E d u c a tio n N a tio n a l T r a in in g O r g a n iz a tio n , Standards for teaching and supporting learning in further education
in England and Wales, 1999: h ttp ://e d u c a tio n .s ta te u m v e r s ity .c o m /p a g e s /3 4 0 0 /q u a lif ie d - te a c h e r - le a r n in g - s k ills -
( Q T L S ) .h t m l .
126 Agnieszka Szplit

Figure 1: Summary of the Key Areas of Teaching (FENTO 2001, p.10).

The seven key areas provide a full set o f standards that can be used by teachers to
design their way o f professional development. However these standards are mainly used
by education institution to plan dieir activities such as recruitment, appraisal, identifica­
tion o f training needs, and finally design o f die curricula o f professional courses101.
Another example o f the regulatory approach to teacher professional standards is
die model o f subject-specific professional standards and assessments created by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) in the United States. Its
purpose is to certify “accomplished” teachers within a range o f subject areas. The Board
provides11 The Five Core Propositions, which form the foundation and frame knowl­
edge, skills, dispositions and beliefs. The Propositions o f the National Board Certified
Teachers (NBCTs) state die teachers:
1. are committed to students and dieir learning, so they should be dedicated to make
knowledge accessible to all students, treated equitably,
2. know the subjects diey teach and how to teach those subjects to students using
diverse instructional strategies,
3. are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, so diey deliver ef­
fective instruction, keep students motivated and focused, and use multiple mediods for
measuring student growth,
4. think systematically about their practice and leam from experience,
5. are members o f learning communities, know how to seek and build partnerships
widi community groups, can evaluate school progress and know how to work collabo-
ratively widi parents.
The second approach to teachers standards, as mentioned eadier, is called devel­
opmental. The example is the Australian National Professional Standards for Teachers

10 R . R o s s n e r , op. cit., p . 7.

11 B o a r d f o r P r o f e s s i o n a l T e a c h i n g S ta n d a r d s ( N B P T S ) : h t t p : / / w w w . n b p t s . o r g / t h e _ s t a n d a r d s / s t a n d a r d s _ d e v e l -
o p m e n t.
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European Union and Beyond 127

endorsed by MCEECDYA in December 201012. They comprise seven Standards which

outline what teachers should know and be able to do within three domains o f teaching.
They are13:
—Standard 1: Know students and how they leam.
—Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it.
—Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.
—Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.
—Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning.
—Standard 6: Engage in professional learning.
— Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/guardians and die
community.
The Standards are grouped into three domains o f teaching: Professional Knowl­
edge, Professional Practice and Professional Engagement. The document enumerates
a number o f descriptors within each domain, e.g.14:
1. Professional Knowledge:
—Teachers should draw on a body o f professional knowledge and research to re­
spond to the needs o f their students within their educational contexts.
—Teachers know their students well and are familiar with their diverse linguistic,
cultural and religious backgrounds.
—They know how to structure their lessons and tailor them to the physical, social
and intellectual development and characteristics o f their students.
—Teachers know the content o f their subjects and curriculum.
—They are able to use Information and Communication Technology to contextual­
ise and expand their students’ modes and breadth o f learning.
2. Professional Practice:
—Teachers are able to make learning engaging and valued.
—Teachers have a repertoire o f effective teaching strategies and use them to imple­
ment well designed teaching programs and lessons.
—They regularly evaluate all aspects o f their teaching practice to ensure they are
meeting the learning needs o f their students.
—They operate effectively at all stages o f the teaching and learning cycle, including
planning for learning and assessment, developing learning programs, teaching, assessing,
providing feedback on student progress and reporting to parents/guardians.
3. Professional Engagement:
—Teachers model effective learning.
—They identify their own learning needs and analyse, evaluate and expand their
professional learning both collegially and individually.
—Teachers demonstrate respect and professionalism in all their interactions with
students, colleagues, parents/guardians and the community.
—Teachers value opportunities to engage with their school communities within and
beyond the classroom to enrich the educational context for students.

12 T e a c h i n g A u s t r a li a , 2 0 0 6 : h t t p : / / w w w . a i t s l . e d u . a u / t a / g o / h o m e / b o o k l e t s .

13 M in is te r ia l C o u n c i l f o r E d u c a t i o n , Harlj Childhood Development and Youth Affairs, 2 0 1 1 : h t t p : / / w w w .a its l.e d u .a u .

14 Ibidem.
128 Agnieszka Szplit

All the descriptors are separated to illustrate four professional career stages: Gradu­
ate, Proficient, Highly Accomplished and Lead15.
1. Graduate Teachers have completed a qualification that meets the requirements
o f a nationally accredited program o f initial teacher education.
2. Proficient Teachers meet the requirements for full registration through demon­
strating achievement o f die seven Standards at diis level.
3. H ighly Accomplished Teachers are recognised as highly effective, skilled class­
room practitioners, working independentiy and collaboratively to improve their own
practice and the practice o f colleagues. They are knowledgeable and active members o f
the school.
4. Lead Teachers are recognised widely as exemplary teachers, demonstrate con­
sistent and innovative teaching practice, and bodi initiate and lead activities diat focus on
improving educational opportunities for all students.
The Western Australia Department o f Education and Training provides die teacher
educators with another example o f a framework o f assessment for general education,
created in 200416. According to die framework, the core is a set o f “competency stand­
ards”, which are complemented by “professional attributes” and “professional knowl­
edge”. The competency grows increasingly in three phases o f development and in five
dimensions. The figure below summarises die framework.

Figure 2. Competency Framework for Teachers by The Western Australia Department

of Education and Training

15 Ibidem.

16 W e s t e r n A u s t r a li a D e p a r t m e n t o f E d u c a t i o n a n d T r a in in g , Competency Frameworkfor Teachers, 2 0 0 4 : h ttp ://p o lic ie s .

d e t .w a .e d u .a u / M e m b e r s / m u l l a s / p o l i c y . 2 0 0 6 - 0 1 - 2 4 . 0 7 6 7 9 8 3 3 6 5 / O n g _ 2 0 0 6 - 0 1 - 2 4 . 3 2 2 8 1 9 3 2 3 3 . p d f .
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European Union and Beyond 129

The framework acts as a common reference point for teachers and policy makers
and gives teachers a tool that outlines a continuum o f abilities and responsibilities cen­
tral to their professional excellence. Thus, it enables them to make informed decisions
about the direction o f their professional development.
At a ‘global’ level the key competencies in die Competency Framework for Teachers
are described as in table below17:

Table 2. Dimensions in the Competency Framework for Teachers

PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

Teachers operating
Teachers operating Teachers operating
within the third phase
within the first phase within the second
should:
should: phase should:

Cater for diverse Use exemplary and

student learning teach­ techniques that meet
Engage students in
DIMENSION 1 ing styles and needs the needs of individual
purposeful and ap­
Facilitating Stu­ through consistent students, groups and/
propriate learning
dent Learning application of a wide or classes of students
experiences
range of teaching in a highly responsive
strategies and inclusive manner
Apply comprehensive
DIMENSION 2 Consistendy use
Monitor, assess, record systems of assess­
Assessing and exemplary assessment
and report student ment and reporting
Reporting and reporting strategies
learning outcomes in relation to student
Student Learning that are highly respon­
attainment
Outcomes sive and inclusive
of learning outcomes

Engage in a variety
Reflect critically on
DIMENSION 3 of learning activities
professional experi­ Contribute to the
Engaging in that promote critical
ences in order to development of
Professional self reflection and
enhance professional a learning community
Learning the development of
effectiveness
a learning community

This Competency Framework for Teachers provides an interesting example o f an

analytic approach to descriptors, whose character enables teachers to self-assess their
professionalism easily and aids managers assessing the staff.
The odier typical feature o f die modern framework for teachers competency is
its “holistic” understanding o f teacher’s work. As shown in die examples above, being
a teacher requires a vast knowledge and accompanying skills, as well as the ability to
incorporate diem into their everyday work. The holistic view o f teacher standards and
competency is easily observable in standards provided for quality language and culture
teaching. The belief that teaching is a deeply ediical endeavour is central to diis standard.

17 R. Rossner, op. cit., p. 5.

130 Agnieszka Szplit

And diere is no o di er discipline in which diis is more important, as language teaching

is culture teaching at die same time, and it engage learners with the diversity o f peoples
and their multiple understandings o f values.
In die pedagogical literature die problem o f defining teachers’ competence is widely
considered. The authors usually describe several aspects involved in teachers competen­
cy. Leban18, for example, presents die following aspects clustered in several categories:
1. The first category called “Subject-connected knowledge and skills” comprises
die knowledge o f die language, both general and specialist, die knowledge o f die topics
dealt with, and o f die lexical and language usage connected with them, the knowledge
o f the four main language skills (listening, reading, speaking writing) and die knowl­
edge o f special skills, such as communication skills, behavioural skills, negotiation and
presentation skills. It also comprises die knowledge o f die subject taught dirough die
medium o f a particular language. Zawadzka (2004) emphasises, however, that die educa­
tional changes in Poland resulted in die growing demands o f proficiency in die language
taught. The knowledge o f English gained at die philology and teacher’s colleges must be
often widened by die language o f nursery rhymes and chants as well as some specialist
(tourist, business, or legal English e.g.) terms.
2. The second category includes “General and special world knowledge and skills”
among which die audior enumerates the need to be familiar with current events and
society and have a good knowledge o f culture, literature, music and film production.
3. “Policy-connected knowledge and skills” is die next category, which emphasises
that language teachers must follow national and international teaching policy. Polish
teachers are obliged to prepare dieir learners to participate in the European Union and,
at die same time, to shape dieir national identity and strengthen patriotism. Integra­
tion widi Europe brings additional goals and objectives not only for language teachers,
but also for teachers o f otiier subjects19. The former group must also be familiar with
international standards and certificates, threshold levels and tools such as die Common
European Framework o f References and die European Language Portfolio.
4. The next category called “Teaching-connected knowledge and skills” is very
broad as relates to bodi dieoretical and practical aspects o f teaching. The author takes
into account several aspects: didactics, mediodology, classroom preparation, material
development and writing, course design and assessment. All o f diem tend to change
and develop constandy as diere are many new areas o f research and innovation, and the
attitudes to language study in and outside die classroom is being modified.
5. “Mission-connected knowledge and skills” , e.g. inspiring pupils, motivating them
for self-growth, bringing students dirough English, etc.
6. Tool-connected knowledge and skills: die language teacher needs to be familiar
widi technological development.
7. Workplace - and society- connected knowledge and skills, e.g. managerial skills,
academic management, time-management skills, etc.

18 K. Leban, T h eprofesńonalprofile o f language educators, [in:] Facing the F uture. Language E ducators across E urope, F. Hey-
worth, V. Dupuis, K. Leban, M. Szesztay, T. Tinsley (eds.), 2003, p. 78. Strasbourg.
19 The aspect is widely discussed by J. Kulczycki, S. Nieciuński, D efiniow anie europejskości w kontekście p otrzeb pracy
[m:] Społeczno-kulturow e k o n tekst edukacji nauczycieli i pedagogów, H. Kwiatkowska, T. Lewowicki (eds.), War­
nauczyciela,
szawa 2003.
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European Union and Beyond 131

8. Flexibility to cater for the learners’ needs and a commitment to life-long learning.
The standards for teachers o f languages might be based on a variety o f lenses or
frames considering knowledge, skills and values expected from die professionals. Day
and Conklin describe four types o f knowledge for second language teachers20:
1. content knowledge,
2. pedagogical knowledge,
3. pedagogical content knowledge,
4. support knowledge, e.g. knowledge about other disciplines o f learning
The complexity and diversity o f language teachers’ knowledge is emphasized by
Crookes who enumerates the following21:
1. knowledges o f die language,
2. knowledges about the language and about language in general,
3. knowledges o f interculturality,
4. knowledges about the aspects o f culture o f the language being taught,
5. knowledges about teaching in general,
6. knowledges about language teaching,
7. and knowledges derived from other disciplines informing language teaching.
Intercultural competence is additionally divided by Byram22 into knowledges how to
understand, leam and do, how to be, and how to commit oneself.
Stein-Parbury (1999) also claims that the significance o f ‘good teaching’ is refiected
in a passion for learning and the discipline as well as, for die world in general. Those
arouse the interest o f learners in dieir learning Many audiors (e.g. Richards, Lockhart
1994; Zeichner 1996; Liddicoat 2005) also emphasise that teaching practice is reflec­
tive, which is understood as one concerned with die nature and needs o f learners and
learning, and reflexive (taking into account how learners see their worlds from dieir own
perspectives and prior knowledge). The first becomes even a basic foundation o f some
teacher standards and framework. This approach towards teaching may be seen in the
Australian teachers’ standards.
The Standards reflect the ‘developmental’ approach to standards, and provide an
“aspirational” framework, as it sets standards to be accomplished over a lifetime o f prac­
tice. The Standards were developed within die Development o f Standards for Teach­
ers o f Indonesian project, which aimed to improve participation and proficiency levels
in Asian languages and to support studies o f Asia across the curriculum (Ministerial
Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs, Australia- MCEETYA
2003). The Standards describe the teaching o f languages and cultures in a holistic way
and are elaborated through eight ‘dimensions’. They are23:
1. Educational theory and practice.
2. Language and culture.

20 R. Day, G. Conklin, T he knowledge base in E S L /E F L teacher education, unpublished paper presented at the 1992
TESOL Conference, Vancouver 1992.
21 G. Crookes, W h a t influences w hat and how second and foreign language teachers teach?, “The Modern Language Journal”
1997, No 81, p. 70.
22 M. Byram, Teaching and assessing intercultural com m unicative competence, Clevedon 1997, p. 18.
23 A.M. Morgan, Professional standardsfo r A u stra lia n teachers o f languages: context, processes and projects, Victoria 2010, p. 5.
132 Agnieszka Szplit

3. Language pedagogy.
4. Ethics and responsibility.
5. Professional relationships.
6. Active engagement with wider contexts.
7. Advocacy.
8. Personal characteristics.
Each dimension includes several descriptors of an accomplished teacher of languages,
and emphasises language teachers’ engagement with die intellectual nature o f their work
and a need for redection. To promote die engagement widi die dimensions, die Standards
list sets o f suggested questions for redection, and point o f inquiry for die teacher. The
dimension called “Educational theory and practice”, for example, includes24:
—What doyou know about the individual learnersyou teach and their capabilities?
—How comprehensively doyou understand the discipline, traditions and debates in languages and
cultures teaching;?
— What is the culture of the school in whichyou teach?
An important feature o f die standards is diat diey may be applied to every language
teacher and to every teaching context, and by teachers at all stages o f development, work­
ing at all school year levels. The general rule for providing die standards and framework is
that they must be applicable across all languages, and for all language teachers.
There are two European projects diat aim at describing teachers competency to lay out
the territory for language teacher training in different contexts: The European Profilefor Lan­
guage Teacher Education —a Erame of Reference (EPLTE) and The European Portfoliofor Student
Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL). Bodi documents refer to initial language teacher training
provided mainly by universities, and, as diey become frameworks describing die skills and
knowledge o f teachers, die documents might be used as assessment scales.
EPLTE is die result o f an EU-funded project.

It deals with the initial and in-service education of foreign language teachers in primary, sec­
ondary and adult learning contexts and it offers a frame of reference for language education
policy makers and language teacher educators in Europe. The findings draw on consultation
with a wide range of European experts on language teacher education, and on the experi­
ence of eleven European teacher education institutions. The findings also suggest guidelines
for quality assurance and enhancement By outlining the key elements in European language
teacher education, the Profile aims to serve as a checklist for existing teacher education
programmes and a guideline for those still being developed 25.

The Profile is divided into four sections: Structure, Knowledge and Understanding,
Strategies and Skills, and Values26, from which the last three are identical widi die diree cat­
egories mentioned in die TDA framework. The four sections should be viewed holistically
as die composite parts o f teacher education and interact to form a comprehensive guide to
teacher education programmes in the 21st century. The sections are as follows:

24 Ibidem , p. 6.
25 M. Kelly, M. Grenfell, R. Allan, et al., E uropean P ro filefo r Language Teacher E ducation —A Eram e o f Preferencefin a l report,
2004: h ttp://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lang/doc/profilebroch_en.pdf.
26 North, B. 2009. A p ro filin g g ń d fo r language teachers. International Meeting on Training, Quality and Certification in
Foreign Language Teaching. Siena. http://clients.squareeye.com/uploads/eaquals/North-%20TQAC.pdf, p. 4.
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European Union and Beyond 133

1. Structure
The section includes the most crucial aspects o f language teacher education and indi­
cates how it should be organised. It is obvious that the way teacher education is arranged
has direct influence on teachers school performance. The section describes how teacher
competence may increase how and skills may be mastered. It gives die background for
development o f knowledge and professional skills, as well as personal values. There are
13 areas outlined in the section, for example27:
• A curriculum that integrates academic study and the practical experience o f
teaching.
• An explicit framework for teaching practice (stage/practicum).
• Working with a mentor and understanding the value o f mentoring.
• Experience of an intercultural and multicultural environment.
• Ongoing education for teacher educators.
• Close links between trainees who are being educated to teach different languages.
2. Knowledge and Understanding
The section contains items relating to what trainee language teachers should know
and understand about teaching and learning languages. The Profile is a series o f descrip­
tors related to ‘should’ statements aimed at policy-makers, but it also includes some ra­
tionales and examples from case studies done by project partners. In the section there is
a statement such as28:

Foreign language teacher education in the twenty-first century should include the following
elements of initial and in-service education:
—Training in language teaching methodologies, and in state-of-the art classroom techniques
and activities.

The document presents the meaning by further explanation:

—Trainee teachers learn about and employ different language teaching methodologies.
—They know the different ways of achieving learning outcomes, and the different tech­
niques necessary for teaching reading, writing, speaking and listening and for improving
reception, production, interaction and mediation skills in learners.
—Trainee teachers leam how to use up to date classroom techniques and activities based on
interactive, group, and peer-assisted learning

and elaboration:

—Trainee teachers who leam about a number of methodological approaches to teaching and
learning are able to adapt to particular contexts, and have a firm foundation for the critical
and creative use of teaching theories.
—Trainee teachers also leam about different methodologies and new classroom tech­
niques from their peers training to teach different languages, where methodologies and
resources vary29.

27Ibidem , p. 5.
28Ibidem , p. 7.
29 M. Kelly, M. Grenfell, R. Allan, et al, op. cit., p. 46.
134 Agnieszka Szplit

The same pattern o f explanation is followed for all headings and items presented.
The remaining items in the section that should be included in education are:
- Training in the development o f a critical and enquiring approach to teaching and
learning
- Initial teacher education that includes a course in language proficiency and as­
sesses trainees’ linguistic competence.
- Training in information and communication technology for pedagogical use in
the classroom.
- Training in information and communication technology for personal planning,
oiganisation and resource discovery.
- Training in the application o f various assessment procedures and ways o f record­
ing learners’ progress.
- Training in the critical evaluation o f nationally or regionally adopted curricula in
terms o f aims, objectives and outcomes.
- Training in the theory and practice o f internal and external programme evaluation.
3. Strategies and Skills
This section consists o f items referring to what trainee language teachers should be
able to do in teaching and learning situations as teaching professionals based on dieir
initial and in-service teacher education. The items necessary for effective teacher educa­
tion are training in:
- ways o f adapting teaching approaches to the educational context and individual
needs o f learners,
- d i e critical evaluation, development and practical application o f teaching materials
and resources,
- mediods o f learning to leam,
- die development o f reflective practice and self-evaluation,
- die development o f independent language learning strategies,
- ways o f maintaining and enhancing ongoing personal language competence,
- die practical application o f curricula and syllabuses,
- peer observation and peer review,
- developing relationships with educational institutions in appropriate countries,
- action research,
- incorporating research into teaching,
- Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL),
- the use o f the European Language Portfolio for self-evaluation.
4. Values
This section contains items relating to die values diat trainee language teachers
should be taught to promote in and dirough dieir language teaching. All are based on
training in:
- social and cultural values,
- in the diversity o f languages and cultures,
- the importance o f teaching and learning about foreign languages and cultures,
- teaching European citizenship,
- team-working, collaboration and networking, inside and outside the immediate
school context,
English Language Teachers’ Competence in the European Union and Beyond 135

—in die importance o f life-long learning.

It is important to note diat die Profile is not designed as a mandatory set o f rules
and regulations for language teacher education. In order to take account o f die rich di­
versity o f language teacher education programmes already offered in Europe, die Profile
has been designed as a voluntary frame o f reference diat policy makers and language
teacher educators will be able to adapt to their existing programmes and needs. The Pro­
file incorporates die expert advice o f a wide range o f educational experts and teacher
educators in order to provide a firm but fiexible foundation for improving die education
o f language teachers in Europe.

By contrast, EPOSTL is described as:

[...] a document for students undergoing initial teacher education. It will encourage you
to reflect on your didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages, helps you to
assess your own didactic competences and enables you to monitor your progress and to
record your experiences of teaching during the course of your teacher education30.

The focus o f EPOSTL is on self-assessment by student teachers, who might track

dieir own progress against 190 descriptors, regarded as a set o f core competences
which language teachers should attain31. The ‘map’ o f the descriptors is oudined in die
figure below32.

Figure 3. The descriptors of EPOSTL

A. D e s ig n in g a s s e s s m e n t to o ls
B. E v a lu a tio n
C . S e lf - a n d p e e r a s s e s s m e n t f A ssessm en t of
D. L a n g u a g e p e r f o r m a n c e ' ^ le a rn in g
E . C u ltu re
F. E r r o r a n a l y s i s A . C u r r ic u lu m
B . A im s a n d n e e d s
0 C o n te x t C. T h e ro le o f t h e la n g u a g e te a c h e r
A. L e a r n e r a u t o n o m y D. In s titu tio n a l re s o u rc e s a n d
B. H o m e w o rk c o n s tra in ts
C . P ro je c ts -ę-. I n d e p e n d e n t
D. P o rtfo lio s le a rn in g
E . V ir t u a l l e a r n i n g e n v i r o n m e n t s
S e lf-
F. E x t r a - c u r r i c u l a r a c t i v i t i e s
assessm ent

A. S p e a k in g /s p o k e n in te r a c tio n
A . U s in g l e s s o n p la n s B . W r itin g /w r itte n in te r a c tio n
B . C o n te n t C . L is te n in g
C . I n te r a c tio n w ith l e a r n e r s C o n d u c tin g a
O M e th o d o lo g y D. R e a d in g
le s s o n
D. C la s s ro o m m a n a g e m e n t E. G ram m ar
E. C la s s r o o m la n g u a g e F. v o c a b u l a r y
G . C u ltu re

A . id e n tific a tio n o f le a rn in g
o b je c tiv e s _ L esso n
B. L e sso n c o n te n t p la n n in g 9 R e so u rc e s
C. O rg a n is a tio n

30 D. Newby, R. Allan, A. Fenner, et al., I'be E uropean PortfolioJor Stu d en t Teachers o j Languages, 2006: http://www.ecml.
at/m tp2/FTE/pdf/STPExtract.pdf, p. 5.
31 Ibidem .
32 Ibidem , p. 6.
136 Agnieszka Szplit

The EPOSTL (formerly called STP “Student Teacher Portfolio”) lists descriptors
grouped in seven areas, which are33:
1. Context: curriculum, aims and needs, the role o f die language teacher, institu­
tional resources and constraints.
2. Methodology: speaking/spoken interaction, writing/written interaction, listen­
ing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, culture.
3. Resources.
4. Lesson Planning: identification o f learning objectives, lesson content, organisation.
5. Conducting a Lesson: using lesson plans, content, interaction with learners, class­
room management, classroom language.
6. Independent Learning: learner autonomy, homework, projects, portfolios, virtual
learning, extra-curricular activities.
7. Assessment o f Learning: designing assessment tools, evaluation, self- and peer
assessment, language performance, culture, error analysis.
Some o f the descriptors from EPOSTL are rather general, such as “I can design lan­
guage courses around the requirements o f the national and local curricula”, but others
are practically focused, e.g. “I can select and design different activities to help learners
to become aware o f and use different text types - telephone conversations, transactions,
speeches etc”, or “I can plan my lessons to take into account die different pace at which
learners work”.
The document seems to be practical and useful for students in full-time training, but
it is a litde difficult to use by practising teachers or leaders, due to die great number o f
descriptors that must be considered.
In m odem societies die notion o f “being a good teacher” has an increasingly com­
plex m eaning referring to a stable domain o f expertise and a continuously changing
texture o f concepts and skilled performance. That is why production o f a complete
framework describing general teacher competency at school, at any education level, is
a challenge.

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