Teaching Foreign Languages Inclusively: Standards for Teacher Competence

Abstract

Introduction. The adequate professional and psychological-methodology training of teachers is of major importance in teaching a foreign language to learners who have health impairment. In spite of the numeral works published in Russia and abroad which cover various aspects of this problem the given article is the first to do the detailed analysis of teachers’ survey in order to reveal the knowledge, competences and skills necessary for their effective work in inclusive classes. The aim of the article is to develop a teacher training/retraining programme, which is based on the state professional educator standard and able to make teachers ready to work with learners who have health impairment. Materials and Methods. Methodology of the research represented is a combination of critical overview of works by Russian and foreign authors, other relative materials and detailed analysis of the results obtained through query of university and school teachers which was necessary for working out a relative teacher training programme that will make them ready to work in inclusive classes. 30 teachers took part in the survey. Results. As a final product of the research done on the basis of accurate analysis of theoretical resources and results of the survey a conceptual framework of teacher’s knowledge and skills necessary for effective work in inclusive class was developed by the authors. They also produced a teacher training programme, criteria and forms for assessing teacher’s acquisition of the programme being included. Discussion and Conclusion. The teacher training course developed by the authors is the relative contribution to the development of Psychology and Pedagogy of teaching foreign languages. It is essential that the programme is a model that can be adapted according to the interests of a potential target audience of educators. The course should help reshape the general competences as defined by the existing standard of teacher training so as to build up specific skills pertaining to teaching SEN learners inclusively. It should be an integral part of contemporary teacher pre-service preparation.