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A guide to teacher competences for languages in education


INTRODUCTION
CATALOGUE OF INSTRUMENTS 
INSTRUMENTS
IN PRACTICE
EVOLVING INSTRUMENTS
COUNCIL OF EUROPE PRINCIPLES
TEACHER COMPETENCES - CONCLUSIONS

Catalogue of instruments

These pages contain one sentence descriptions of the various tools examined during the course of the project. Beside each description there is a visual representation relating the content of the tool to key dimensions. The aim of these spidergrams is to offer a visual profile of each instrument, e.g. for a quick initial comparison of different resources. The spidergram values are to be read from the centre of the visualisation.

Clicking on ‘view details’ enables the user to read more details about the purpose and contents of the tool, its origins and so on.

There are two ways of searching for relevant tools: you can use the matrix of topics/dimensions on the right to click on a specific area of interest, or/and you can narrow down your search using the filters listed below.

In the lower part of the main page a link can be found to brief descriptions of some important frameworks describing learner competences as well as various key Council of Europe and other background documents relevant to the issue of teacher competences. Last but not least, there are links to more detailed descriptions of the piloting and further development of a few existing resources in the context of this project.


24 items found for "foreign language teaching"

Eaquals Framework for Language Teacher Training & Development
The Eaquals Framework is a compendium of descriptors of the knowledge and skills needed by foreign language teachers, covering aspects of planning, teaching, assessment competences, language, culture and professionalism.

foreign language teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English Teaching and learning Language and cultural competences and awareness Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural competence Language and cultural awareness

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European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL)
EPOSTL is a portfolio for the self-assessment of didactic competences of student foreign language teachers.

foreign language teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education Language schools English French German Spanish Greek Hungarian Italian Lithuanian Romanian Russian Arabic Japanese content and language integrated learning Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Orientation: languages

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European Profile for Language Teacher Education
A framework for evaluating and enhancing the quality of initial teacher education courses for foreign language teachers in Europe that focuses on knowledge and understanding (8 areas), strategies and skills (13 areas), and values (6 areas).

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages

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The European Profiling Grid (EPG)
The EPG is a competence framework covering the main language teaching competences, enabling competencies (language proficiency, intercultural competence and language awareness), and professionalism.

foreign language teaching pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English French German Greek Italian Bulgarian Georgian Dutch Portuguese Turkish Ukrainian Chinese Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural awareness

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Cambridge English Teaching Framework
The Framework is provided as a tool to enable teachers of English as a foreign language to assess and plan their own professional development, and relate this to Cambridge English’s qualifications for teachers of English and for English as a foreign language.

foreign language teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English Teaching and learning Language and cultural competences and awareness Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural competence Language and cultural awareness

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Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for Teachers
The framework spans 12 professional practices relevant to all teachers, offering a way of conceptualizing professional development as an incremental process.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject bilingual teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Professional development Orientation: other subjects Plurilingual/pluricultural development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources

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Passepartout - Katalog von Kompetenzbeschreibungen für die Grundausbildung von Lehrpersonen, die an der obligatorischen Schule Fremdsprachen unterrichten
The framework describes the teacher competences and resources for the teaching of two foreign languages (French and English) in obligatory school (primary and lower secondary).

foreign language teaching primary lower secondary German Teaching and learning Orientation: languages Plurilingual/pluricultural development

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Las competencias clave del profesorado de lenguas segundas y extranjeras
A common and coherent framework of reference describing the professional competences of teachers of Spanish as a second or foreign language in Cervantes Institutes all over the world, for the professional training / development of the teaching staff.

foreign language teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools Spanish Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural awareness

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National Framework for Languages (NFfL)
The framework contains language-related teacher competences for initial education in Scotland.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum primary lower secondary upper secondary English Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs Professional development Orientation: languages Orientation: other subjects

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Teacher Effectiveness for Language Learning (TELL)

The TELL framework describes the behavior of foreign language teachers, in obligatory schooling and beyond.

foreign language teaching English Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages

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World Languages Standards for teachers of students aged 3-18
An official set of standards covering 9 areas of competence including knowledge of students, the language, the culture, language acquisition, the learning environment, curriculum and planning, assessment, reflection and professionalism, which are designed to guide teachers working in the US national school education system.

foreign language teaching pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary English Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs Language and cultural competences and awareness Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural competence Language and cultural awareness

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Alfarådet - Description of Teachers’ Competence in initial and functional literacy for adults with non-Nordic mother tongues
This framework describes the competence of a professional teacher of initial and functional literacy (reading and writing as social practices) to adults whose mother tongue is not a Nordic language.

foreign language teaching bilingual teaching adult education English Swedish Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Professional development Orientation: languages Orientation: other subjects Plurilingual/pluricultural development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources Democracy

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Competency Framework for Teachers of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Teaching English for Academic Purposes – CPD Accreditation Scheme Handbook
The documents provide a description of competences needed by teachers of EAP, especially those working in the UK, as well as a scheme for enabling such teachers to gain a specialized qualification in EAP.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject higher education English language sensitive subject teaching Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs Professional development Orientation: languages Orientation: other subjects

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Developing and assessing intercultural communicative competence: A guide for language teachers and teacher educators (ICCinTE)
The ICCinTE focuses on the development of intercultural communicative competence in teacher training and development.

foreign language teaching bilingual teaching pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English French plurilingual and intercultural education Teaching and learning Language and cultural competences and awareness Plurilingual/pluricultural development Language and cultural competence Language and cultural awareness Democracy

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European portfolio for pre-primary educators (PEPELINO)
A tool for personal reflection on professional competences for students who are embarking on initial training to become pre-primary educators, focusing on the plurilingual and intercultural dimension of work with pre-primary children.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum pre-primary English French German plurilingual and intercultural education Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Orientation: other subjects Plurilingual/pluricultural development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources Language and cultural awareness

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Profession-related language competence profiles for foreign language teachers ('Swiss Profiles')
The Profiles describe the language competences needed for foreign language teaching.

foreign language teaching bilingual teaching primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English French German Italian Language and cultural competences and awareness Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Orientation: languages Language and cultural competence

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Référentiel de compétences des enseignants de Disciplines Non Linguistiques et de français des sections bilingues en Pologne
The instrument describes teacher competences for bilingual education, distinguishing between different teacher roles (language vs. subject teachers).

foreign language teaching bilingual teaching teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum lower secondary upper secondary French content and language integrated learning language sensitive subject teaching Teaching and learning A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Professional development Orientation: languages Language and cultural awareness Democracy

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Framework of Teaching Competences for Intercomprehension (REFDIC)
REFDIC is a guide for designing, implementing and assessing teaching that focuses on intercomprehension as part of plurilingual education.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools English French Spanish Romanian plurilingual and intercultural education Teaching and learning A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages Plurilingual/pluricultural development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources Language and cultural awareness Democracy

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The CLIL Teacher’s Competences Grid
The instrument describes competences for introducing and conducting content and language-integrated learning (CLIL).

foreign language teaching bilingual teaching lower secondary upper secondary English content and language integrated learning language sensitive subject teaching Teaching and learning Professional development Orientation: languages Orientation: other subjects

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Perfil Geral de Desempenho Profissional do Educador de Infância e dos Professores dos Ensinos Básico e Secundário – Sistema Educativo Português
The General Profile of Professional Competences, the general framework for Portuguese teachers, gives a global overview about teacher competences.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject bilingual teaching teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum primary lower secondary upper secondary Portuguese Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources Democracy

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Specification of Professional Competences for all Teaching and other Posts in Education (France)
A set of standards listing the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed for the teaching of all subject and for the roles of other personnel in education and training in France.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject bilingual teaching teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary French Teaching and learning Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: other subjects Democracy

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The UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education
A framework to support the initial and continuing professional development of teachers in higher education.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum higher education English Teaching and learning Attention to learners’ individual needs Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher Professional development Orientation: languages

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Basiskompetenzen Sprachliche Bildung für alle Lehrenden
The framework describes language-related competences relevant for the initial education of teachers of all subjects.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject bilingual teaching teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum pre-primary primary lower secondary upper secondary adult education higher education Language schools German A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective Orientation: other subjects Plurilingual/pluricultural development Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources

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Speaking for Excellence
The framework describes language competences of teachers for certification in Canada, with a focus on the teachers’ different roles and the corresponding language functions.

foreign language teaching language of schooling as a subject bilingual teaching teaching of other subjects / teaching across the curriculum primary lower secondary upper secondary English Orientation: other subjects Language and cultural competence

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  Find resources according to orientation for teacher education and development

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Click below to find out more about these orientations, and to search for resources where they feature prominently.

FOCUS ON LEARNERS FOCUS ON TEACHERS FOCUS ON TEACHING
Teaching and learning
The teacher’s language and cultural competence and awareness
Orientation: languages
Covers didactic skills, including those related to planning, materials development, testing, and knowledge of, for example, language acquisition and learning psychology.

One can distinguish two aspects regarding the teacher’s language and cultural competence and awareness: 
The teacher’s language and cultural competence
covers the teacher’s own ability to use the language(s) which, or in which, they are teaching, i.e. the target language(s) and/or the language(s) of schooling, and to work effectively as a teacher in the relevant cultural context(s).
The teacher’s language and cultural awareness covers the teacher’s understanding of how language and communication work, enabling them to plan lessons, analyse language difficulties, deal with learners’ errors and questions etc. This also includes their general linguistic and cultural knowledge and awareness.

The development of the teachers‘ language and cultural competence and awareness can be accompanied by more general educational aims: Development of a culture of democracy (human rights, social inclusion, democratic engagement) in teachers’ and students’ views, attitudes and educational pathways.
Aimed at teachers teaching foreign languages (e.g. French or Chinese in the UK) or the language of schooling. For a specific contribution of language teaching to education in general: Development of a culture of democracy (human rights, social inclusion, democratic engagement) in teachers’ and students’ views, attitudes and educational pathways.
Plurilingual and pluricultural development
Reflection & self-assessment by the teacher
Orientation: other subjects
One can distinguish two aspects regarding plurilingual and pluricultural development:
A holistic plurilingual & pluricultural perspective covers competences related to setting aims and managing learning activities that develop learners’ - as well as the teacher’s - pluricultural and plurilingual competences.
Capitalising on linguistic & cultural resources of the learner in the context covers competences needed for drawing on the diversity that students bring into the learning arena through their linguistic and cultural repertoires, and potentially the linguistic and cultural resources available in the location. Plurilingual and pluricultural development can be accompanied by more general educational aims: Development of a culture of democracy (human rights, social inclusion, democratic engagement) in teachers’ and students’ views, attitudes and educational pathways.
Self-assessment by teachers of their own competence, attitudes, and reflection on their recent, future and long term development.
Aimed at teachers concerned with the use of languages of schooling, including CLIL and the teaching of other subjects.
Attention to learners’ individual needs
Professional development
 
Covers competences relevant to taking account of and responding to individual learning needs of different kinds (to do with a language of origin, literacy, disability, learning style, pace of progress etc.).
Covers collegial and individual actions taken for professional, personal & institutional development, and any experiences and activities that are intended to, or do actually, contribute to the development of competences.

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Learner frameworks and key background documents

Here you find brief descriptions of important resources that that outline (language) learners’ competences, and key background documents.

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Frameworks, standards and documents included in the online guide

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