Project details

The DOPLA project was set up to address the inadequate provision for training and induction of postgraduate teaching assistants (PGTAs) and foreign language assistants (FLAs). An initial teacher-training course was developed by a team from The University of Birmingham with expertise in modern languages, education and staff development. This five-day course linked initial training and related activities, with a further taught element combining reflection and additional training after a period of teaching practice. Novice teachers left each element of the programme with a dossier of practical strategies for language teaching, as well as techniques for classroom management.

A three-year grant was received from HEFCE in the second phase of FDTL funding to disseminate this training model to other higher education institutions. The Birmingham team worked in a consortium with six other universities - Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Salford, Sheffield and UMIST - to develop and disseminate the programme.

A comprehensive training pack was produced comprising sixteen modules with tutor scripts, overhead transparencies, handouts and readers, together with video and audio materials. The modules cover a wide range of issues relating to modern foreign language teaching, including theories of language acquisition, teaching grammar, computer-assisted language learning, translation, the use of video and audio material, and teaching literary and cultural studies. The pack enables any modern languages department in the higher education sector to introduce an initial teacher-training course for their FLAs and PGTAs. The programme proved to be especially successful in encouraging collaboration across languages, and between specialist and institution-wide language teaching: typical DOPLA courses feature anything up to six target languages and involve teachers working on both degree and electives programmes.

Approximately 400 FLAs and PGTAs from 36 institutions across the UK attended training using the DOPLA materials. This was either at courses run by their own institutions, or at regional programmes run in conjunction with other local universities. Furthermore, two courses were run in Dublin and Limerick, and requests for materials were received from as far afield as France and South Africa.

DOPLA is now building on the successful activities of the local 'mini-consortia' that emerged during the project to create regional centres in London, Sheffield and Birmingham. These centres are developing training programmes based on the DOPLA model and materials. The programmes, starting in September 2001, will be open to assistants at all institutions in the area. The regional centres will also be encouraging wider participation, in particular by other categories of staff at their own and existing DOPLA partner institutions.