Achieving success in bilingual classrooms
Supporting global educators to teach students in English with confidence and creativity
05 October 2022 I The Queensland Institute
The QI training team (above) reflect on their year-to-date.
As the 2022 peak training season comes to a close, the team at The Queensland Institute have reflected on the support they have offered to more than 820 global educators, through practical professional development for language teaching and learning.
We are proud to have worked with 427 language teachers and 396 university professors internationally, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to teach students in English with confidence and creativity.
With an increasing global demand for teachers to deliver their courses in the virtual and physical classroom, teachers around the world are being challenged to learn new skills to provide effective and enjoyable learning experiences for language learners.
Here are just some of the ways we’ve assisted global educators to support and engage students so far this year.
Inclusive education in Chilean Elementary Schools
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a teaching approach that works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners. This April, QI facilitated a special workshop event on UDL to help elementary school English teachers in San Javier, Chile, to ensure inclusive learning environments that address students’ diverse needs, backgrounds, and experiences.
The workshop provided participants with practical solutions and sample lesson resources, with one participant reporting “I think these techniques and activities will encourage learning and participation in my students”.
Another said “It was refreshing and motivating to see how many new ideas can improve your students’ skills, I really liked it and I will definitely use these activities!”
Improved lesson design in the Central Pacific
In March and August, QI worked with lecturers and education students in the Central Pacific to incorporate Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) frameworks and planning principles into their lessons, supporting students studying subjects in English, and supporting the Republic of Kiribati to meet their national bi-lingual education policy goals.
After completing our course, one participant commented, “I learned that lessons start from the basics and then gradually climb-up to the complex. I really like learning and teaching my students in this pattern because it includes everyone in terms of meeting all their learning needs.”
Students will be better supported to get the most out of their learning, another participant said “The course is very useful as it can help me plan my lesson using the CLIL approach and my students can learn both the content and the language simultaneously.”
Digital delivery in Hong Kong primary and secondary schools
With ongoing lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions during 2022, Hong Kong educators have continued to deliver English lessons online. QI has supported more than 75 primary and secondary school English teacher trainees to enhance their digital teaching skills.
The teacher trainees will go on to be champions of interactive, online delivery in their respective schools, with one participant saying “This is a useful course for teachers-to-be to get an idea of what a real interactive class should be like online. The skills I have learned in this programme are truly life-changing.”
Confidence in digital delivery ensures educators are prepared for the future, another participant said “The tech tools introduced in the sessions were very helpful for future teachers who need to navigate between online and physical classrooms.”
Communities of practice in bilingual music and arts education in Taiwan
Over the last 12 months, QI has helped more than 140 Taiwanese primary and secondary Music and Arts educators to teach their subjects more confidently and collaboratively. This will support Taiwan in pursuit of its 2030 bilingual education goals.
One participant said “Walking on the path to the bilingual policy in 2030, nobody should face the problems on his own. [In this course], we can all build a strong connection with each other and make our teaching more effective!”
English as a Medium of Instruction certification in Taiwanese universities
Increasingly, global universities are encouraging lecturers to deliver courses in English. As part of this, lecturers are required to demonstrate their participation in English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) training.
Throughout 2022, QI has worked with university professors from five different universities across Taiwan to build the skills and confidence required to deliver lectures in English and to gain certification. One participant stated “Most teachers in Taiwan don't use English as a mother language so EMI courses are a big challenge. If more teachers can join the QI program, it would have a big benefit to help them better teach in English”.
Learner-centred approaches to increase student engagement
In July, QI worked with a combined group of university professors from Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mongolia and Thailand who were keen to explore best practice approaches to EMI and learner-centred approaches to engage undergraduate and postgraduate students.
QI’s course on active learning approaches and practical strategies were enthusiastically embraced by professors, who said “Finding ways to engage students is so important for us as lecturers. Designing active learning EMI activities makes me see more smiles and satisfaction on students' faces.”
Helping students connect with academic content in English
In August, QI worked with university professors in Southern Taiwan who wanted to help their learners better understand academic lectures in English. One professor reported “I think it is very useful that the program teaches the lecturer to think from a student’s perspective.” Another stated, “I learned how to slow down my lecture to let students "digest" what I just taught”.
QI are thrilled to receive ongoing feedback from participants, who reflect on their learnings as strengthening their all-round teaching capabilities “This program not only taught me how to teach in English, but it also taught me how to become a better lecturer in general”.
Our mission to empower global educators continues
QI co-Founder and Director, Philippa Coleman, said, “Our training team have enjoyed working with such a diverse group of educators in Southeast Asia and Latin America this year. Helping global educators to deliver their lessons in English more confidently and skilfully, enhance their approach to digital delivery, and feel more connected to other teachers around the world, will undoubtedly mean improved learning outcomes for so many students. That’s what matters most to us.”
If you would like to find out more about our services and how we can help, review our prospectus here or please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
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