Changing the Paradigm : A very practical MA
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | International Language Symposium Brno : The 2017 Papers |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Keywords | MA Internal teaching practice; practical changing paradigm |
| Description | Changing the paradigm : A very practical MA Masters in ELT equip teachers with the theoretical grounding necessary to underpin decisions made in the classroom. However, do MAs sufficiently marry theory with practice? This paper details the how the MA in English language and learning for secondary schools at Masaryk University in Brno was re-designed to become more practical in nature and thus better prepare our trainees for the classroom itself. Trainees now have to complete our so-called “internal teaching practice”, where they teach once a week for a semester. This enables them to actually put into practice the substance of the pre-requisite coursework in a safe environment where they can develop. We are now able to send our trainees out to school with training in linguistics, classroom management and the micro-skills that are compatible with current trends in ELT. If we want to produce the best teachers, we need to forearm them with both the theory on which to base their decisions in the classroom, as well as the practice of actually teaching. Changing the paradigm from the theoretical to the practical is what MA courses need in order to equip the next generation of ELT professionals for the journey ahead of them. |