Abstract:

The paper considers issues and challenges of the professional development of teachers with regards to the concept of transformative life-long learning. The principles of the suggested approach include such properties as realizing the significance of professional interaction for growth, developing an open, critical stance to professional work and seeing oneself as a continuous learner. The language teacher training system based on this approach has been examined with the focus on the case study of a particular higher educational institution, which is Donetsk National University.

Being an essential part of the life-long learning, the professional activity of teachers embraces certain stages. The University of Donetsk offers opportunities for teacher training and further professional development within the framework of Bachelor and Master study programmes, as well as postgraduate study and ongoing professional development, including in-service teacher training. The created teacher training system aims at achieving language proficiency levels in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference, which show learner’s progress in mastering a foreign language. The paper examines approaches and methods to language teaching, which become essential in the framework of present-day language education to meet the needs of modern society.

A focus is also made on important educational issues, which result from the necessity due to different reasons to study online without physically attending classes. It shifts the emphasis from the traditional formal educational boundaries to distance and e-learning. The paper discusses a range of essential components, encompassing methods and techniques of teaching, assessment, learner autonomy, learning styles, syllabus design, teacher-student communication.

An important conclusion is made as to teacher professional development becoming a tool, which makes it possible to be knowledgeable, flexible and effective enough to meet the global challenges of modern world. The case study of Donetsk National University highlights that teacher development requires putting into practice new effective paradigms for learning. It reshapes professional development bringing out regular and sustainable practices.

Keywords:

Professional teacher development, language education, case study, transformative life-long learning.