Summer Study:

The Teaching of English as a Foreign Language in the Czech Republic and in Germany.

-- Course Description--

Introduction

This course will give students the opportunity to experience how English as a foreign language (EFL) is being taught in various settings abroad. Students will observe English classes in secondary and post-secondary settings. Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to discover business needs as applied to English as a foreign language.

Program description

This study abroad course focuses on the role English as a Foreign Language (EFL) plays in the Czech Republic and in Germany. As part of this 3-week course, you will have the opportunity to observe high school classes in both countries in order to experience first hand how English is being taught to students at various levels of secondary education. In addition to attending high school classes, you will visit university courses in which future teachers of English are being trained.

Participating in this summer study course will provide you with the opportunity to observe the crucial role English plays in both Germany and the Czech Republic. Through personal interaction with local teachers and students, class observations, teaching experiences, and selected readings, you will gain an understanding not only of the instructional needs and educational systems, but also an appreciation of the culture in both countries.

Locations

The course begins in Prague, the impressive capital of the Czech Republic, where you will meet faculty members and students of Charles University, a highly selective teacher preparation university. You will each meet with a teacher in the public school system and spend time with her/him learning more about the teaching of English in Prague and the surrounding area.

At our next stop, Regensburg, a picturesque Bavarian town at the Danube, you will attend teacher-training courses at the local university, interview professors and future teachers, and examine the program of study teachers of English follow. About 45 minutes north of Regensburg, Neumarkt is a smaller town with a population of about 50,000. There, you will stay with host families and attend one of the local high schools to get a first hand impression of the teaching of English in German high schools. Munich, the beautiful capital of Bavaria, is next. Being the biggest city in the southern part of Germany, it attracts international companies and provides a multicultural ambiance that relies heavily on English. Here, you will mainly research local, national, and international newspapers and interview businesses to determine the skills English teachers in the private marketplace would need to possess in order to obtain a job.

Throughout the three weeks, this course provides ample time to explore contemporary life and culture in Germany and the Czech Republic.

Course Requirements

Participants in this course will strengthen their knowledge of the field, by conducting interviews with teachers and students in the target countries, Germany and the Czech Republic. They will also have the opportunity to develop and teach lessons in collaboration with teachers.

In addition to classroom-related work, students will conduct needs analyses of students and businesses, investigate areas in which English instruction could be improved, and propose changes that could be implemented at the local level in Germany and the Czech Republic. One important aspect of these needs analyses is specifically aimed at exploring future opportunities with businesses.