A Creative Approach to Language Teaching: A Teacher Trainer Perspective
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
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| Description | An increasing number of innovations in language learning of recent years is fascinating. Yet, novel views on learning styles, teaching strategies, course development and technology use associated with those innovations have brought the necessity to ask questions such as: Do we design courses that suit diverse and multifarious needs of language learners? Do we use technologies that improve language learning processes? Do we teach skills that help study, work and communicate successfully in the constantly changing world of science and research? This paper shares experience with an implementation of Creative Approach to Language Teaching (CALT) to the university setting. It offers a practice-oriented insight into this creative, collaborative and community-of-practice based approach that Masaryk University Language Centre, the leading language learning institution in the country, has been testing, analysing and implementing since 2009. The CALT concept, based on a fusion of theories of K. Robinson, M. Csikszentmihalyi, E. de Bono and J.P. Guilford, defines creativity as a natural component of language learning. It examines a framework of critical thinking, creative situations, processes and barriers, and focuses on specific areas such as flexible syllabus, “flipped classroom”, flexibility or fluency. Our findings indicate that teachers trained in the CALT method prefer adopting roles of language facilitators, guides and advisers to maintaining traditional hierarchically justified authoritative positions. They tend to share negotiated responsibilities with the rest of the learning community-of-practice and provide a more creative, flexible and dynamic environment for students who are allowed to become natural co-authors and engaged creators of language learning activities. Results of this training method confirm that Creative Approach to Language Teaching enriches personal teaching styles, fosters autonomous learning and encourages flexibility of language courses. |
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