Training Foreign and Second Language Teachers

This book provides a comparative perspective on foreign language teacher training in France, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The training process of state secondary school foreign language teachers is considered from two perspectives for each country. On the one hand, the current training routes through which necessary teaching qualifications are obtained are described with respect to national policy for foreign language learning, the nature of providers, and training programme organisation and contents, with details of any practicum. These descriptive dimensions are accompanied by an evaluation of the degree to which the training fits the purpose of teaching foreign languages in state secondary schools.

The descriptive and evaluative approaches to FL teacher training provide a novel overview of the current successes and challenges in the field, giving an understanding of terrains not easily accessible to the general English-language readership. The book highlights elements of good practice found across nations, and contributes to shed light on the enduring mystery of why certain nations seem to be managing multilingualism better than others. As such, it provides a reference for interdisciplinary discussions between applied linguists, education researchers and practitioners, and policymakers.