Formation des enseignants et education bilingue en Suisse (Teacher Training and Bilingual Education in Switzerland).

Overview & Synopsis

A discussion of bilingual education teacher training in Switzerland begins with an introduction to the unique and complex linguistic situation of the country, the political and policy context for bilingual education, and the organization of teacher training in general. A more detailed description of both pre-service and in-service training of bilingual education teachers, at both university and non-university levels, follows. Special attention is given to new developments in the domain of bilingual teaching strategy and technique, including a trend toward experimentation with program design and course organization, use of new technologies and self-paced learning, the language teaching profession's support of bilingual education through programs and resources, teacher and student exchange programs, and classroom teaching innovations. Areas for further progress are identified in pre-service and in-service teacher education and the politics of education. (Contains 12 references.) (MSE)