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Professional Development for Language Teachers

Article  in  ELT Journal · July 2006

DOI: 10.1093/elt/ccl014

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Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

Professional Development for Language Teachers

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

CAMBRIDGE LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Series Editor: Jack C. Richards

In this series:
Agendas for Second Language Literacy by Sandra Lee McKay
Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms by Jack C.
Richards and Charles Lockhart
Educating Second Language Children: The Whole Child, the Whole
Curriculum, the Whole Community edited by Fred Genesee
Understanding Communication in Second Language Classrooms by
Karen E. Johnson
The Self-Directed Teacher: Managing the Learning Process by David
Nunan and Clarice Lamb
Functional English Grammar: An Introduction for Second Language
Teachers by Graham Lock
Teachers as Course Developers edited by Kathleen Graves
Classroom-Based Evaluation in Second Language Education by Fred
Genesee and John A. Upshur
From Reader to Reading Teacher: Issues and Strategies for Second
Language Classrooms by Jo Ann Aebersold and Mary Lee Field
Extensive Reading in the Second Language Classroom by Richard R.
Day and Julian Bamford
Language Teaching Awareness: A Guide to Exploring Beliefs and
Practices by Jerry G. Gebhard and Robert Oprandy
Vocabulary in Second Language Teaching by Norbert Schmitt
Curriculum Development in Language Teaching by Jack C. Richards
Teachers’ Narrative Inquiry as Professional Development by Karen E.
Johnson and Paula R. Golombek
A Practicum in TESOL by Graham Crookes
Second Language Listening: Theory and Practice by John Flowerdew
and Lindsay Miller
Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for
Teacher Learning by Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

Professional
Development for
Language Teachers
Strategies for Teacher Learning

Jack C. Richards
SEAMEO Regional Language Centre

Thomas S. C. Farrell
Brock University

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town, Singapore, São Paulo

Cambridge University Press

40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521849111

C Cambridge University Press 2005

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception

and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without
the written permission of Cambridge University Press.

First published 2005

Printed in the United States of America

A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Richards, Jack C.
Professional development for language teachers : strategies for teacher learning / Jack C.
Richards, Thomas S. C. Farrell.
p. cm. – (Cambridge language education)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-521-84911-1 (alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 0-521-84911-X (alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-521-61383-5 (pb.)
ISBN-10: 0-521-61383-3 (pb.)
1. Language teachers – Training of. I. Farrell, Thomas S. C. (Thomas Sylvester Charles)
II. Title. III. Series.
P53.85.R534 2005
407 .1 1 – dc22 2005041972

ISBN 13 978 0 521 84911 1 hardback

ISBN 10 0 521 84911 X hardback

ISBN 13 978 0 521 61383 5 paperback

ISBN 10 0 521 61383 3 paperback

Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for

the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or
third-party Internet Web sites referred to in this book,
and does not guarantee that any content on such
Web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
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Contents

Series editor’s preface vii

Preface ix

1 The nature of teacher education 1

2 Workshops 23

3 Self-monitoring 34

4 Teacher support groups 51

5 Keeping a teaching journal 68

6 Peer observation 85

7 Teaching portfolios 98

8 Analyzing critical incidents 113

9 Case analysis 126

10 Peer coaching 143

11 Team teaching 159

12 Action research 171

Appendix 195
Index 197

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

Series editor’s preface

Second and foreign language teaching provides a career for hundreds of

thousands of teachers worldwide, and the vast educational enterprise of En-
glish language teaching could not operate effectively without the dedication
and effort of such teachers day by day and year by year throughout their
careers. Maintaining the interest, creativity, and enthusiasm of experienced
language teachers in their profession is one of the challenges faced by pro-
gram coordinators, school principals, and teacher-educators. Teachers need
to expand their roles and responsibilities over time if they are to continue
to find language teaching rewarding, and it is the responsibility of schools
and other educational institutions to provide opportunities for teachers to
develop longer-term career goals and opportunities over time.
The field of language teaching is subject to rapid changes, both as the
profession responds to new educational paradigms and trends and as insti-
tutions face new challenges as a result of changes in curriculum, national
tests, and student needs. As a result, teachers need regular opportunities
to update their professional knowledge and skills, that is, their opportuni-
ties for professional development. Teachers need to be able to take part in
activities such as:
r engaging in self-reflection and evaluation
r developing specialized knowledge and skills about many aspects of
teaching
r expanding their knowledge base about research, theory, and issues in
teaching
r taking on new roles and responsibilities, such as supervisor or mentor
teacher, teacher-researcher, or materials writer
r developing collaborative relationships with other teachers

This book provides a survey of current approaches to professional devel-

opment for language teachers, particularly for those new to teaching or those
who seek opportunities for in-service teacher education. A wide variety of
approaches are presented and ways of implementing them illustrated, draw-
ing on the authors’ experiences of developing and conducting in-service
vii

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
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viii Series editor’s preface

teacher programs in many parts of the world. Throughout the book, per-
sonal accounts by the authors and by teachers who have experience using
activities such as journal writing, peer observation, and teaching portfolios
provide compelling examples of how and when such activities can be useful
and their advantages and limitations.
This book will therefore serve as a useful source book for teachers,
teacher-educators, supervisors, teaching mentors, and others who are inter-
ested in carrying out teacher-development activities in their own settings.

Jack C. Richards

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

Preface

This book examines a variety of approaches to professional development for

language teachers. In most schools and institutions today, language teachers
are expected to keep up to date with developments in the field, to regularly
review and evaluate their teaching skills, and to take on new teaching assign-
ments according to the changing needs of the institution. Some teachers may
also be expected to serve as mentors to new teachers, to plan workshops and
other professional activities, to present papers at seminars or conferences,
and to write for journals and teaching magazines. Language teaching insti-
tutions are also expected to maintain high professional standards, to provide
opportunities for their teachers to pursue professional development, and to
provide conditions where teachers cooperate to achieve higher levels of
learning among their students.
This book is intended as a practical introduction and guide for teachers,
administrators, and coordinators who wish to implement a coherent and
strategic approach to teacher development. Although the book seeks to
provide ideas for practicing teachers, particularly those relatively new to
language teaching, we hope that experienced teachers, teacher trainers, and
supervisors will find much to interest them as well. In recent years, language
teachers in many parts of the world have expressed a growing interest in
their own professional development. This is seen in the worldwide interest
in such activities as virtual networks for language teachers, action research,
journal writing, and portfolios, and the use of these and other activities
as a basis for critical reflection on teaching practices. Although a large
number of articles and a smaller number of books have been published
on these issues, there have been few practical introductions to the field of
professional development in language teaching as a whole and the range of
activities and procedures that can be used for this purpose. This book seeks
to meet this need.
This book examines eleven different procedures that can be used
to facilitate professional development in language teaching: workshops,
self-monitoring, teacher support groups, journal writing, peer observa-
tion, teaching portfolios, analysis of critical incidents, case analysis, peer
ix

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

Cambridge University Press
978-0-521-84911-1 - Professional Development for Language Teachers: Strategies for Teacher Learning
Jack C. Richards and Thomas S. C. Farrell
Frontmatter
More information

x Preface

coaching, team teaching, and action research. In addition, the opening chap-
ter presents an overview of the nature of professional development and
provides a conceptual framework for the book as a whole.
Each chapter examines, in a straightforward and nontechnical way, one
approach to teacher development in language teaching. The goals of each ac-
tivity are discussed, the methodology of using it, advantages and problems
associated with it, and practical examples (in the form of vignettes with
questions) provided of how teachers in different parts of the world have
applied the activity in their own classrooms. The vignettes were obtained
through our own contacts with teachers and as a response to invitations on
the Internet and at workshops and seminars. The teachers’ own names are
used, except where anonymity was requested. Reflection questions at the
end of each vignette allow readers to consider how to apply the approach in
their own teaching contexts and serve as possible topics for investigation.
The goal is to help teachers and those responsible for the professional de-
velopment of teachers to choose activities most relevant to their needs and
to familiarize themselves with familiar as well as less familiar approaches
to teacher development.
This book reflects our own approaches to teacher learning in language
teaching and draws on our combined experience in North America and the
Asia Pacific region. We would like to thank the teachers who responded
to our requests for examples, to several anonymous reviewers for valuable
feedback, and to our editor, Angela Castro, whose suggestions assisted
greatly in preparing the manuscript for publication.

Jack C. Richards

Thomas S. C. Farrell

© Cambridge University Press www.cambridge.org

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