We’re excited to report that IATEFL has partnered with other major English language organisations on a ground-breaking project to improve teaching standards in 20 countries.
PRELIM – the Partnered Remote Language Improvement Project
IATEFL, along with the British Council and English UK, who are jointly running PRELIM, have allocated £10,000 to each winning bid and contracted NILE (Norwich Institute for Language Education) as managing consultants to create a community of practice for the UK schools and facilitate the project. Funding has come via the British Council.
Each successful course provider will be working with IATEFL-associated English Teaching Associations in countries including Guinea Bissau, India, Vietnam and Argentina.
IATEFL President Harry Kuchah Kuchah said "Language proficiency is an important requirement for language teachers, and a lack of it can affect teachers' confidence, both in their classrooms and in their communities of practice." He hoped PRELIM would support excellent teachers within IATEFL's associates who did not otherwise have the opportunity to improve their language skills, helping build their confidence to improve their teaching and be more active in their teaching associations.
Roy Cross, Principal Consultant, Partnerships in English for Education Systems at the British Council, added: "I believe benefits will include more confident teaching and classroom practice for association members, an enduring relationship for the school with the partner and country and a mentored experience which will make the school more confident in delivering a remote course."
English UK's business development director Tim Barker was excited by the opportunity provided by PRELIM for course providers to deliver international projects, often building relationships with new markets and becoming more experienced in planning and delivery in the process. "This is truly innovative and a very ambitious way of delivering this. It's positive that we've ended up with 20 bespoke, innovative courses which will be delivered before the end of March for 20 different teaching associations around the world.
One unique aspect of PRELIM is the involvement of NILE as managing consultants to create a community of practice and support for all the schools taking part. Director Thom Kiddle said "we are very excited about helping the individual projects develop, to provide confidence and language skills for English teachers in their classrooms, but also about coordinating the Community of Practice among the UK-based language schools, to share ideas and solutions for working remotely in such diverse contexts.
"We have seen great enthusiasm so far from all participants, and can foresee some really important potential outcomes in teacher language competences, and also in the capacity and experience of the UK providers. We feel this collaboration between EnglishUK members, IATEFL-affiliated English Teachers Associations, and British Council English for Education Systems is unique, innovative and will lay foundations for great partnerships and programmes in the short, medium and longer term."
IATEFL Chief Executive Jon Burton added that: "Collaboration, between UK institutions and teaching associations around the world, as well as continued collaboration between IATEFL and the British Council and English UK, both of whom we have worked closely with for many years, can only be positive and beneficial all."
Participating English Teaching Associations are in Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea Bissau, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palestine, Serbia, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Zambia.
English UK member centres taking part are:
- Anglia Ruskin University
- Bell Educational Services Ltd
- CELT Centres for ELT Cardiff
- Celtic English Academy
- Centre for English Studies (CES)
- IH Bristol
- IH London
- Inlingua Cheltenham
- Language United Ltd
- Lewis School of English
- LILA* Liverpool
- New College Group
- Oxford International Education Group
- Peartree Language
- St Clare's Oxford
- The University of Sheffield ELTC
- Wimbledon School of English