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Theory and practice in language teacher education

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 May 2019

Penny Ur
Penny Ur*
Affiliation:
Oranim Academic College of Education, Israel
*
Email: pennyur@gmail.com
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Abstract

We often hear language teachers say ‘Don't confuse me with theories, just give me practical ideas I can take into the classroom’. Many teacher educators and researchers, on the other hand, believe that (research-based) theory is more important, and should be used and implemented by practitioners. This paper will propose an approach to the use of theory and practice in teacher education that may help to resolve this dissonance. After some preliminary definitions and clarification of some common confusions, it is suggested that theory and practice in the context of language teaching are not polar opposites, but points on a continuum: any statement or guideline about teaching can be, more or less, practical or theoretical. The rest of the paper will focus on the questions how the various types of published theories or teacher theorizing can contribute to professional expertise, what is the place of practical tips or recipes, and how all these can be used or combined in teacher education courses to bring about optimal learning by novice teachers, or increased expertise on the part of the more experienced ones.

Information

Type
Plenary Speeches
Information
Language Teaching , Volume 52 , Issue 4 , October 2019 , pp. 450 - 459
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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Footnotes

Plenary speech given at the Language across borders conference: Graz, December 2017.

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