PROJECT INTRODUCED AT CANSPEAK ANNUAL CONVENTION

Friday 21 October, I was welcomed by 26 canSpeak centres to the canSpeak Annual Convention 2016 held this year in Angers, France, to share with them the PROLANT CAP project. Following on from an immense interest in teacher training since the previous canSpeak convention in 2015, the morning had been set aside for discussion on how to improve a teacher‘s teaching and the actual role of a teacher within a training centre.

I introduced the 6 partners in the project and gave an overview of the main objectives to an audience who already knew a little on the background as they had received copies of previous newsletters. Some centres and their staff had also been a part of the Needs Analysis at the beginning of the year.

A look at the career path proved to be of particular interest, especially concerning the use of the European E-grid to help assess the needs of teachers. It was suggested that this type of tool would be very useful in the annual individual interviews that we have to conduct with all our employees.

The CLIL methodology aroused interest particularly in its relev a n c y t o c o n t e n t — b a s e d learning. A lot of centres at the moment are developing programmes that are specialised according to the activity of the company that is seeking language training. CLIL in itself is little known through the canSpeak network but everyone is looking for something to differentiate himself from the masses, so why not?

The need to bring teachers together, to relieve the feeling of isolation and give them a sense of belonging was a conclusion that suggested that the PROLANT CAP is offering real solutions to very current needs.

Nicki Abadie, Co-owner & director of CNTC/ Alpha Langues Page 2

canSpeak is an alliance of the best independent language training centres in France. Each centre has achieved distinction in its own region before joining canSpeak; and each centre respects canSpeak’s procedures to make sure it fits efficiently into overall national or international projects entrusted to canSpeak.