2 Choose the word or phrase which does not fit the sentence.

1. Their presentation at the conference was absolutely / quite / very perfect.

2. The advice of the mentor was really / completely / extremely valuable.

3. Parents seemed to be utterly / somewhat / a little concerned about the situation.

4. The topic of the essay was incredibly / fairly / widely unusual.

5. The schedule seems to be perfectly / highly / rather balanced.

6. Don’t you think that these two documents are absolutely / pretty / quite identical?

3 Talk about foreign language teacher preparation, using gradable and ungradable adjectives.

COMMUNICATION

1 Read the questions and express your opinion.

1. Is language teaching a branch of applied linguistics or a branch of education?

2. How much linguistics do teachers need to know and whose linguistic theories are most relevant?

3. What are the essential subjects in a pre-service or in-service curriculum for language teachers?

4. Do teachers need to know how to carry out research? If so, what kind of research?

COMMUNICATION Comment on the following quotations:

To what extent do you agree or disagree

with the opinions expressed?

A CASE STUDY

1 If you had to continue writing the article, what would you tell about language teacher preparation in the period between the 2000s and the present period?

2 Analyze the main peculiarities of the issues under consideration and produce a scheme (a table, or an association map, etc.) to support your answer.

3 Add a column, a description, bullet points, etc., in your comparative analysis, outlining the peculiarities of language teacher preparation in the period between the 2000s and the present period.

The aspects and characteristics	Second language teacher education in the early 1970s	Second language teacher education between the 1970 and 2000	Second language teacher education in the period between 2000s and the present period	The prospects of the second language teacher preparation

A PROJECT

Foreign Language Teacher Preparation in Different Countries

1 INTRO: The task of foreign language teacher preparation has new challenges in the global context. Different countries and societies have their own perspectives on this process.

2 TASK: Analyse the peculiarities of foreign language teacher preparation in various countries.

3 Process:

1. Work in small groups, study the programmes for the foreign/second language teacher preparation (e.g. for universities, courses, colleges, etc.) in two countries, compare and contrast the main aspects of the programmes.

2. Study the resources, conduct the survey, synthesise the results of the study.

3. Design your own programme for the foreign/second language teacher preparation.

4 EVALUATION: Use the ‘Evaluation Rubrics’ to evaluate the results of your research. 5 RESOURCES: You may analyse the information of the websites, visit local educational institutions, etc.

6 CONCLUSION: Present the results of your analysis and research in class (e.g. a brochure, a poster, a report, a video report, etc.).

A CASE STUDY

1 Create a leaflet (brochure, poster, etc.) outlining the work of the language center and make up a presentation of it.

2 Look through the information provided by the language center, ask the representatives your questions.

3 Visit a local language center and prepare a report on its work.

READING

2 Elicit your knowledge about foreign language teaching in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

3 Skim the text and find out the following.

1. What languages are taught in the United Kingdom’s schools?

2. Are there enough foreign language teachers in the United Kingdom?

3. What is the age from which pupils are recommended to learn foreign languages?

“Teach Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) in the United Kingdom”.

Becoming a modern language teacher can provide a career full of creativity. It offers the opportunity to inspire young people’s minds with new ideas and insights into different cultures. Teaching modern languages offers challenges with big rewards. Choosing this path is not just about teaching vocabulary and pronunciation, it requires the commitment to developing real cultural awareness.

The main languages taught in schools are French, German and Spanish. Others include Italian, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, Urdu and Bengali. There is a shortage of teachers available in these priority subjects and there is demand for high-calibre talent to take on the challenge. The number of children taking a modern foreign language (MFL) at GCSE will be almost a third higher in 2013 than it was in 2011 and is forecast to continue to grow, so there is a real need for talented language teachers.

Also a recent government review of the national curriculum has recommended that all children from the age of nine should learn a foreign language. If you specialise in teaching modern languages at the secondary level, bursaries of up to £20,000 are available for courses starting in 2013. The amount of bursary you will be eligible for depends on the subject you want to teach and your degree class. The United Kingdom Education Ministry’s official website, 2013