University College Plymouth St Mark & St John

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Our Practice and Principles

The Centre for International Language Teacher Education (CILTE) has expertise and programmes in the following areas:
• Continuing professional development in language education
• Skills development for teacher education
• Management of change
• Development of learning  materials
• Practitioner research
• Development of academic literacies
• Programme evaluation and quality management

Over the last three decades, the Centre has

• Developed a range of masters courses with specialisms in language teacher education, English for specific purposes (ESP), and language testing and evaluation;
• Provided specialist BEd  programmes in English as a second language (TESL) for the ministry of Education, Malaysia;
• Provided consultancy on language education policy development to ministries of education, institutions, and other providers;
• Led projects on a range of language education policy and curriculum innovations; and
• Designed and delivered specialist, bespoke courses for teachers and teacher educators.

Current activities include

• Masters programmes in ELT / TESOL in Plymouth, and on a part-time basis for partners in Pakistan, Malaysia and Mexico;
• BEd TESL in conjunction with teacher training colleges in Malaysia;
• BA in English for Specific Purposes in conjunction with a university in Vietnam;
• An international Foundation programme, providing access to undergraduate study in the UK;
• Specialist courses for Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teachers in Spain;
• Language development for teachers in the English as Medium of instruction (MOI) sector in Egypt;
• Pre-sessional programme for specialist naval academy students; and
• Research grant for impact study of initial teacher education programme, in conjunction with Trinity College London.

EXPERTISE  The University College has very considerable experience and ‘know-how’ in many areas of professional practice and activity. These include:

• Trainer development

• Teacher education and continuing professional development

• Change management

• Educational materials development

• Practitioner research

• Project management

• Language education

In its project and development  work, UCP Marjon is guided in its international work by the following principles:

INNOVATION and CREATIVITY  We are committed to educational activity that benefits from appropriate innovation and creative thought and action in specific localities.

PARTNERSHIP  We believe in working in partnership with our clients and programme participants. Such partnerships involve collaboration, consultation, learning from each other, and team work.

COMMUNICATION  We are aware of the pivotal role of effective communication in all educational activity to ensure that everyone involved in activities knows what is going on, what they need to do and why.

FLEXIBILITY  We believe in a ‘process’ approach to education and re-tune and re-schedule our contributions in response to evolving needs in the classroom and in project activity.

UNDERSTANDING  We invest time and care in informing ourselves fully of the conditions, constraints, personalities and institutions involved in any educational activities we undertake; we therefore recognise the need for cultural sensitivity.

EMPOWERMENT  We believe that an educational initiative can only succeed if it enhances the capacity of our clients and programme participants and the institutions in which they work.

PATIENCE  We know from long experience that attitude change is vital to success in educational activity, but know that change takes time and cannot be externally-imposed. Trust between ourselves and our partners is essential for resolving the inevitable doubts and resistance that arise at all stages in the change process.

SUSTAINABILITY  We are aware of the need to help clients and course participants develop the skills and create the systems which can lead to the continuation of educational activity long after our contributions have ceased.

COMMITMENT and DELIVERY  Once we have agreed to undertake an activity, we aim to motivate our clients and participants, meet deadlines, deliver what we have agreed and to evaluate our work and disseminate results.

NETWORKING and FOLLOW-THROUGH  We are committed to staying in touch once our specific contributions are complete.

 

Last modified on Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:47:13 BST by ofrolovs