Babylonia as a resource for teacher trainers and students

Gé Stoks
Locarno

The training of student teachers in the canton Ticino takes place at the Department of Teaching and Learning (DFA) of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI). The institute is rather small and the number of students of modern foreign languages is limited. Therefore, multilingual groups are formed, both for the training of teachers at the level of the scuola media and for groups at the liceo level. The students all have a university degree (master) and usually study to become teachers for two subjects, mostly two modern languages or Italian and another modern language. The promotion of plurilingualism is an important aspect of the institute’s teaching philosophy. By teaching students in multilingual groups (French, German and English) we hope to create a better understanding and spirit of collaboration rather than of rivalry and competition once they start teaching. […]