‘Inviting Eve to Taste the Apple’: Some Metaphors for the Issue of Theory in In-service Second Language Teacher Education Courses in Greece

Abstract

This chapter addresses the issue of theory for second language teachers on in-service courses, defined as the propositional knowledge accumulated in the field of applied linguistics. Johnson (2009: 23) defines this as ‘scientific or disciplinary’ in contrast to teachers’ ‘personal theories’ or practitioner knowledge (2009: 22). The concept of theory will be discussed in relation to the in-service teacher development courses available for English language teachers in the Greek state education system, the context in which I have been working for the last 20 years. I will first argue for the necessity to invite the teachers to ‘taste the apple’ of theory in in-service teacher education, and second, make suggestions of ways which could be used to ‘seduce’ the teachers to ‘eat the apple’. My discussion will use metaphors to illustrate personal experiences on the issue.