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Taking the Conference to the Teachers: Workshops to Improve Language Teaching
Author(s) -
Donato Robert,
Nollendorfs Valters
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
foreign language annals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.258
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1944-9720
pISSN - 0015-718X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1944-9720.1983.tb01419.x
Subject(s) - attendance , dissemination , psychology , professional development , foreign language , pedagogy , mathematics education , medical education , computer science , political science , medicine , telecommunications , law
ABSTRACT Foreign language conferences have traditionally played a significant role in teacher inservice training. These conferences are not being utilized to their full potential, however, and do not reach the great number of language teachers who do not attend. This paper suggests that through a network of Extension Workshops (EWs) such conferences could reach many of those teachers who do not attend conferences and who may need inservice training most. Utilizing the existing formats of pedagogical conferences, participants would be selected to attend Conference Workshops (CWs) consisting of various components including special sessions plus general conference sessions. These participants would, in turn, conduct EWs in their local areas to disseminate the information, practices, and techniques they have acquired through the CW. A mechanism to finance and administer the Conference and Extension Workshops could be established by the governing body of the language conference itself. In this way, pedagogical conferences would eventually increase their own membership and attendance and inspire a greater sense of professional awareness and communication among language teachers.