Section Chairs: Dr. Ingrid Fandrych
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität
Erlangen-Nürnberg

Dr. David James Prickett
Universität Potsdam

Education policy is the policy of the future. The key players in this arena are the teachers. As a consequence teacher education plays an important role. This is also noticeable at universities where teacher education programs and their contents are often heavily debated and struggled with. As far as the programs for language teachers go, time and again the following issues and questions come up.

Admission  requirements

• How can we ensure a minimum language level for our degree programs?
• Do we need entrance exams for language degree programs? If so, how can these be better aligned with content relevant to the degree programs for teachers.

Learning profiles and the needs of students pursuing teaching degrees

• What is the best learning method for future language teachers: classroom lessons, autonomous learning, blended learning, project work or learning the language in the country where it is spoken.
• How can we support heritage language speaking students in regular courses?
• How can we use this heterogeneity in our courses and programs?
• How can we motivate our students to go abroad during their studies?

Design and scope of the practical language teaching module

• What subject matter do future teachers need in the practical language teaching module?
• How much time do the other participants (Literature, Cultural Science, Linguistics, Didactics) need?
• How can we design the contents and exercises in our teaching lessons, in which dual subject students as well as teacher training students participate, to be geared towards their career fields.

Dealing with the digitalization taking place at universities and in schools

• What role do media-based  teaching and learning scenarios play in the practical language teaching module? What role should they play?
• What approaches are there for using digital media in the practical language teaching module.

Testing and Evaluation

• Should attendance be required in the practical language teaching courses?
• How do we evaluate the subject matter in the most reasonable way, practical or skills orientated?
• How do we use the GER levels and/or Unicert?

In this work group we want to look into these and other issues concerning the training of future foreign language teachers and offer a forum for the mutual exchange of ideas. We hope that this work group can continue the discussions started at the 7th Bremen Symposium on Foreign Language Teaching and Learning at University.