Teachers of English attend two-week training course

An in-service training course for European teachers of English at secondary level was held at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham between July 9 and 21.

Through Comenius, which is financed by the European Union, I was able to attend this course and represent Malta and my school - Lily of the Valley Girls' Secondary, Mosta.

I also met 36 teachers from Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, Sicily, Greece, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Poland. Therefore it was the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast teaching and learning methodologies and school systems.

The course consisted of a workshop on teaching English as a foreign language. Emphasis was placed on motivating students through a variety of activities to engage their imagination and creativity, such as miming, drama, use of poetry and stories, language board games and using film extracts to teach several language skills.

Ideas were demonstrated and put into practice by all participating teachers. Another workshop included language analysis for teaching purposes; developing listening and speaking skills; teaching vocabulary and cross-curricular language teaching for mixed ability classes.

Furthermore aspects of life in modern Britain through literary texts were studied and youth culture in the British media. A lecture was also held on the education system in England and recent developments and issues.

We also visited a secondary state school, exchanged ideas with the English teachers and were present for a few lessons.

An unforgettable experience was visiting Stratford-upon-Avon following a lecture on Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. There was also an optional visit to a performance of the play at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

Cultural visits to Oxford and Bath, which were optional, contributed to this whole learning experience. Moreover, staying with a local family has surely enriched my knowledge of English culture and the English people.

At the end of the course I felt I had gained a variety of new ideas, skills and materials for teaching English and updated my knowledge of Britain and the education system.

Being able to establish links with so many other teachers from other European countries has been particularly enriching, since this will contribute to future activities and initiatives I will undertake in my school for the benefit of students.

Ms Farrugia is a teacher of English at Lily of the Valley Secondary School