Michael Legutke

Preparing Teachers for Technology-Supported ELT

The availability of information and communication technology (ICT) in educational settings offers the chance to reconceptualize the second and foreign language classroom as a learning environment with a new quality of communicative and intercultural learning. If teachers are adequately prepared to handle the difficult task of incorporating ICT into the classroom, then these new environments have the potential for language encounters beyond the classroom, for enhanced access to a wide variety of resources, and for the communicative use of the target language. After a review of recent research on the integration of technology in teacher education programs, two model formats for integrating technology into preservice teacher courses are presented that can be emulated in a variety of national settings. Even though technology plays an important role, these formats extend far beyond technology by integrating different domains of relevant knowledge as identified by educational research on teacher learning, for example, knowledge pertaining to insights gained from previous and current research, the processes of language teaching and learning in actual classrooms, and student teachers’ identities and their images of teaching and learning.

Teacher Preparation: Second Language

Second language teacher education is a complex field of activity to which various disciplines contribute. Despite its long tradition, only a few have investigated what constitutes its relevant knowledge base or have explored language teacher education in context. The growing need for competent language teachers worldwide has led to a call for the re-conceptualization of both the knowledge base and the processes of teacher education. Based on studies concerning how professional language teachers think and act in various contexts of practice and how they develop their competence when learning to teach, this article presents basic concepts, principles, and model approaches to teacher preparation.