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    Trainer Skills

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    Sherif Makkawy
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    Trainer Skills

    Uploaded by

    Sherif Makkawy
    95 views4 pages
    Trainer Skills

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Trainer Skills

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    95 views4 pages

    Trainer Skills

    Uploaded by

    Sherif Makkawy
    Trainer Skills

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    IH Teacher Trainer

    Module Two – Trainer Skills


    As demand for language teachers grows, so does the demand for teacher
    training around the world. When experienced teachers suddenly find
    themselves in a position of training, whether it be formally or just involved with
    the professional development of their fellow teachers, they may feel out of
    their depth as there are now new levels of responsibility with new skills to be
    learnt.

    According to Roberts1, there are six core ‘knowledge bases’ that are at the
    heart of any teaching, which as an experienced teacher, you will have already
    developed in some way:

    Content knowledge knowing your subject area


    Pedagogic content knowledge being able to put across ideas clearly and in
    a logical order, and being able to help with
    problems that might arise.
    General pedagogic knowledge classed as classroom management skills
    Curricular knowledge knowing what to teach in different contexts
    (level, age, purpose)
    Contextual knowledge the characteristics of the people you are
    teaching and how a range of institutional
    and cultural influences within and outside
    the classroom may affect teaching.
    Process knowledge study skills, inquiry skills or self-reflection
    skills that foster continuous development

    However, there are some clear differences between teaching and training due
    to the fundamental difference in the content of a teaching training course in
    comparison to a language course

    -­‐ As well as knowing how to teach a certain lesson, a trainer must


    also know the theories and a range of techniques that would work in
    that type of lesson along with appropriate rationales

    -­‐ The trainer needs to cover a lot of theory in a restricted time. To do


    this they need to turn theory into interactive activities for the
    trainees.

    -­‐ Trainers are the model for the techniques they are teaching. They
    need to make sure that they are mirroring the techniques that
    trainees must show in their assessed lessons to achieve criteria
    and to pass the course

    -­‐ Trainers have to change their role from teacher to mentor to formal
    assessor. Because of this, rapport and trust can be compromised

    1
    © International House World Organisation
    IH Teacher Trainer
    once the trainer has to assess lessons and give feedback,
    especially, of course, if the feedback is negative.

    -­‐ Trainers have to deal sensitively with a lot of emotions and stress
    on these courses, especially on the more intensive courses which
    are very demanding on trainees and extremely fast-paced.

    In addition to these differences between teaching and training, there can be


    also a vast difference in the type of people who enrol on teaching training
    courses which can greatly affect the way a trainer delivers the course as well
    as the success of the trainees on the course. The following are just some
    factors that can be so different for each trainee – their past teaching
    experience, their educational and occupational backgrounds, their age, their
    study skills, their self-discipline, their language experience background, and
    their motivations.

    The following represent a typical cross section of people on a teacher training


    course:

    “I’ve just left school and “I’ve been working as a


    want to travel and teach. I secondary school teacher for 20
    years and I love teaching but I
    have no experience of just want to try teaching in a
    teaching at all but it can’t be different field with different
    that hard, can it.” students and motivations.”

    “I am from Switzerland. I
    “I’m a civil rights lawyer and I need a
    speak 4 languages fluently
    break and change of career. I want a
    job that’s more flexible and one that’s and have some experience
    less stressful. I’ve done some on the in teaching English at my
    job training and mentoring before but I university”
    don’t speak any other languages”.

    “I have a PhD in Educational


    Psychology, and have written an
    “I’ve been teaching English at a school in array of articles for universities
    Poland for 8 years – back then, I walked around the world. I now want to
    in and asked if I could teach for them experience the more practical
    and have been there ever since. They side of teaching while still linking
    now require me to have a formal it to the theories of education.”
    qualification though so that’s why I’m
    here, although I don’t feel I need one
    with all my experience.”

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    © International House World Organisation
    IH Teacher Trainer

    Although trainees on a course can be as diverse as the examples above, they


    do all share the common factor that they are all adults so all training should
    always take into account the following adult learning principles, first stated by
    2
    Knowles:
    -Adults are autonomous and self-directed. Their teachers must actively
    involve adult participants in the learning process and serve as
    facilitators for them.
    -Adults have life experiences and knowledge and effective teaching
    must acknowledge and build on this fact.
    -Adults are goal-oriented. Therefore a programme of study that has
    defined goals is important.
    -Adults are relevancy-oriented. The learning must be seen by the adult
    as relevant and applicable.
    -Adults are practical. To be able to apply and use knowledge and skills
    is important.
    -As do all learners, adults need to be shown respect.

    In conclusion, a programme that trains teachers to train, therefore, needs to


    develop a range of training skills so that new teacher trainers meet a high
    level of professional competence. An experienced teacher will have lots of
    transferable skills that they can bring to the teaching training context, but they
    will still need to develop certain new skills to ensure trainees on a teacher
    training course are given the best possible chance of passing, and excelling
    on, their course as well as being successful as a new teacher in this
    competitive industry.

    The aim of this session is for potential teacher trainers to reflect on their own
    skills, learn more about the specialised skills they need for training and to find
    out how to develop these skills.

    Bibliography
    1
    Roberts J. (1998) Language Teacher Education. London: Arnold.

    2
    Smith, M. K. (2002) ‘Malcolm Knowles, informal adult education, self-
    direction and andragogy’, the encyclopedia of informal education,
    www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm.

    3
    © International House World Organisation
    IH Teacher Trainer
    Further reading

    Alex Case (2008) ‘How to break into Teacher Training’. English Language
    (ESL) learning. www.usingenglish.com/articles/how-to-break-into-teacher-
    training.html

    The Teacher Trainer – A practical journal for those who train, mentor and
    education TESOL teachers. Pilgrims Ltd

    Wallace M. (1991). Training foreign language teachers. Cambridge:


    Cambridge University Press.

    Woodward T. (1994). Ways of Training. Harlow: Longman

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