Teacher Development Course
Thursday 25 August 2005

Visiting chinese teachers, Jincheng No 1 Middle School, Jincheng, Shanxi, Jim Ferguson, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of English Language Schools (ACELS), Dee Doyle and Linda Murphy from DCU Language Services

The first Teacher Development Course for Chinese Teachers of English was recently completed in DCU and was organised by DCU Language Services. This specifically-designed Teacher Development Course is aimed at assisting Chinese teachers of English to become more familiar with Communicative Teaching Approaches and Task-Based learning techniques while, at the same time, improving their own English language skills.

This pilot course includes an Intercultural module, which explores and contrasts cultural learning and teaching styles and is underpinned by the DCU Masters research undertaken by Dee Doyle, Director of Studies in Language Services which proposed hybrid methodologies or "Bridging Strategies" between Chinese and Western approaches.

It is hoped that knowledge of the challenges which arise, when students of one approach encounter the other, may assist Chinese teachers of English to prepare their students for study in Western countries. To further increase intercultural communication competence, participants were hosted with local Irish families and were required to conduct an intercultural project with their Irish hosts.

This course is the first of its kind in Ireland and builds on to the body of research undertaken by Dee Doyle since 2002 to promote successful third level learning experiences for Chinese students. Jim Ferguson, Chairperson of the Advisory Council of English Language Schools (ACELS), Dept. of Education, presented end of course certificates and congratulated DCU Language Services on their pioneering work in the field of intercultural learning and teaching.