Learning teaching: research and reporting in the post-graduate language teaching practicum at the Faculty of Letters, the University of Porto, Portugal

Abstract

The Bologna Declaration (1999) and the subsequent re-structuring of post-graduate teacher education programmes at the Faculty of Letters, the University of Porto (FLUP) (ongoing since 2008) has provided opportunities to re-assess both the content and the teaching procedures of these Masters courses (here referring especially to the English Language Teaching variant). One key element that has been extensively revised has been our approach to the way the student teachers' learning in the second year practicum is both experienced and reported. This paper will present and discuss both the theoretical background and practical implications of the recently revised approach adopted at FLUP, from a personal, individual standpoint. Special emphasis will be given to multi-disciplinary teaching staff meetings which have led to the elaboration of a statement of policy which is valid across all seven 'teaching a foreign language' variants of our teacher education Masters courses.