Researching Educational Practices, Teacher Education and Professional Development for Early Language Learning

"""Mourão and Leslie’s edited collection of research studies from across Europe is a must-read for everyone concerned with teacher professional development in early language learning. Papers authored by experienced teachers, teacher educators and university professors illustrate rich experiences in professional development while also revealing how much still needs to be done if teachers are to attain a coherent professional identity rather than simply complete a checklist of so-called competencies. This volume serves as a call to action for proper investment in high quality development programmes for all teachers of early language learning."" Dr Janet Enever, Professor Emerita of Language Education, Umeå University, Sweden. ""Good quality teacher education is widely recognised as critical to set the foundations for successful professional practice. High quality teacher education in the early/primary years, and in multilingual contexts, is equally vital yet comparatively under-researched. This volume, which brings together colleagues from across Europe presenting a diverse mix of chapters addressing key issues within teacher practices, education, and curricula, is a must-read primer for anyone interested in better understanding how to develop high quality teaching and teacher education in multilingual classrooms in the foundational stages of formal education."" Dr Victoria A. Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Oxford University, UK. ""Focused on teacher education and early language learning, this collective effort by esteemed experts in the field fills a critical void, offering empirical insights into teachers’ professional development, and higher education contexts. Spanning diverse European contexts, it addresses multilingualism and English as a foreign language with children aged 3 to 12 in relation to both generalist and specialist teachers. From Iceland to Spain, the book intricately explores teacher practices, education, and curricula, employing case studies and innovative methodologies to ensure an active, hands-on learning experience in teacher education."" Dr Danijela Prošić-Santovac, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. ""Mourão and Leslie’s edited collection of research studies from across Europe is a must-read for everyone concerned with teacher professional development in early language learning. Papers authored by experienced teachers, teacher educators and university professors illustrate rich experiences in professional development while also revealing how much still needs to be done if teachers are to attain a coherent professional identity rather than simply complete a checklist of so-called competencies. This volume serves as a call to action for proper investment in high quality development programmes for all teachers of early language learning."" Dr Janet Enever, Professor Emerita of Language Education, Umeå University, Sweden. ""Good quality teacher education is widely recognised as critical to set the foundations for successful professional practice. High quality teacher education in the early/primary years, and in multilingual contexts, is equally vital yet comparatively under-researched. This volume, which brings together colleagues from across Europe presenting a diverse mix of chapters addressing key issues within teacher practices, education, and curricula, is a must-read primer for anyone interested in better understanding how to develop high quality teaching and teacher education in multilingual classrooms in the foundational stages of formal education."" Dr Victoria A. Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics, Oxford University, UK. ""Focused on teacher education and early language learning, this collective effort by esteemed experts in the field fills a critical void, offering empirical insights into teachers’ professional development, and higher education contexts. Spanning diverse European contexts, it addresses multilingualism and English as a foreign language with children aged 3 to 12 in relation to both generalist and specialist teachers. From Iceland to Spain, the book intricately explores teacher practices, education, and curricula, employing case studies and innovative methodologies to ensure an active, hands-on learning experience in teacher education."" Dr Danijela Prošić-Santovac, Associate Professor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia."