The Language Centre at IE University pledges for innovation

In collaboration with the Agencia para la Calidad del Sistema Universitario de Castilla y Leon, the language centre at IE university has designed a training course for teachers who are interested in the didactic innovation of second languages and foreign languages.

The European Union defends a common policy in order to support the teaching of languages. Their most frequent recommendations refer to competences such as oral and written communication in their mother tongue, the knowledge of one or more foreign language, the capacity to work in an international context, the acknowledgment of diversity and the knowledge of other cultures and customs. In answer to these questions and other necessities the language centre at IE University has organized a training course for teachers. In this course a number of experts from diverse Spanish and European Universities and professionals from editorials who specialize in the teaching of languages will participate. The course will be held at Santa Cruz la Real Campus (Segovia) throughout the second term of this academic year. It will take place in six different sessions between February 5 and April 30.

Among the themes that will be dealt with are learning theories and their implanting into teaching practice, curricular design, evaluation examining competences, methods and didactic resources and new technologies applied to teaching. In the last session there will be an exchange of experiences and conclusions will be formed.

“This course is completely molded towards the philosophy of Bologna. There won´t be lectures but there will be a building and management of ideas in a group situation and there will be workshops headed by experts”, says Juan José Prat Ferrer, the director of the language centre at IE University and manager of this training course. This course is offered as a hands on course rather than the learning of ideas adds Prat Ferrer, who emphasizes that “it is an innovative pledge which goes beyond what the experts will teach in order to build up knowledge from which all parties can learn”.

The course is free of charge and distinguished by its practical form. It is directed at language teachers who work in the university and pre-university world and individuals who are looking for training in this area. Those interested can contact the Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor at IE University (fuencisla.sanz@ie.edu) or call 921 412199.

The Language Centre

The language centre at IE University has been established as a consequence of  ideas that emanate from Bologna about building a plurilingual and multicultural university.

The Language centre at IE University provides diverse resources and services to all members of the university community who need to improve their competences in language, be it for study reasons, investigation or personal interest.

Its main objective is to give an adequate service in the development of competences not only in the use of English and Spanish, basic resources for the personal development of the teacher and student, but also in other languages to get to know a world which is more and more accessible, to interact with it and to develop professionally in their respective areas.