Innovation in teaching English in Catalonia

The Catalan language

• About 11 million speakers.

What is scaffolding?

Scaffolding is  supporting learners in various ways, enabling them to do what they cannot yetdo without support. When learners achieveindependence, the scaffolding is removed,and a higher goal is set.

TEACHER TRAINING AND INNOVATION IN CATALONIA

Context: Catalonia

• Innovative projects = PELE (Projecte Experimental de Llengües Estrangeres)

• Primary Education A----- English in the kindergarten B -----Improvement of Oral Skills C -----CLIL D -----Learning a second foreign language

• Secondary Education A -----Improvement of Oral Skills B -----Projects in English C -----CLIL

• Foreign language school projects in Catalonia

• PELE – secondary education 2007: 52 schools 2008: 65 schools 2009: 45 schools 2010: 33 schools

• PELE - primary education 2007: 240 schools 2008: 179 schools 2009: 152 schools 2010: 241 schools

European Context

• CLIL

• In 2002 the European Council in Barcelona called for “further action ... to improve the mastery of basic skills, in particular by teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age”.

• But how to find more hours for languages in an already crowded curriculum? And how to go about teaching languages successfully to relatively new target groups? - Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) can provide an answer.

• In 2003 the European Commission brought out an Action Plan for language learning and linguistic diversity, where CLIL is listed as one of the innovative methods to improve the quality of language teaching.

o 2005-06: 2 (primary) and 7 (secondary)o 2006-07: 9 (primary) and 10 (secondary)o 2007-08: 20 (primary) and 24 (secondary)o 2008-09: 20 (primary) and 8 (secondary)o 2009-10: 15 (primary) and 18 (secondary)

To train CLIL teachers & have CLIL materials

there are:10-week paid leaves for teachers in the UK and France

The Institutes of  Science  Education (ICE)

These are institutions depending directly on Catalan Universities. Their aims are:• Training the trainers• Research and educative innovation

In Catalonia there are 6 ICEs: Barcelona (UB, UAB, UPC), Lleida (UdL), Girona (UdG) and Tarragona (URV)