https://youtu.be/c1KJUQ2-XAA
“We are developing a graduate program that will allow participants to take their initial training a step further, open doors for them to take on different roles in their profession, and provide them with the fundamental theoretical and practical tools to achieve their goals,” said Dr. Gabriel Díaz Maggioli, academic coordinator of the Specialization Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
On Wednesday, December 1, 2021, he attended the launch of the graduate program, which aims to provide highly specialized training to identify problematic situations, generate innovative proposals, and design strategies for timely intervention in English language teaching and learning.
Until now, there had been no programs of this kind in Uruguay designed to enhance the careers of English teachers or those who teach subjects in English.
Díaz Maggioli.
And, in his words, a specialization in teaching English as a foreign language has been a “great need in the field”: “No matter how good initial teacher training may have been, due to time constraints, it can only cover a certain amount of professional knowledge—which is not necessarily what is required to work in the classroom.”
Therefore, this proposal offers an update in the field of English language teaching, specifically in the areas of teaching methodology, applied linguistics, inclusive education, and technology-enhanced learning. This applies not only to theory but also to practical aspects, which are essential for learning in the 21st century.
“As English teachers, we take on a variety of roles after completing our initial training. We diversify our careers, and if we haven’t done so yet, we generally want to. Therefore, one of the goals of this graduate program is to support the professional development of its participants,” Díaz Maggioli emphasized.
As the coordinator pointed out, the program has comprehensive approach and is not a “Uruguay for Uruguay” initiative.
The program is rooted in the reality of Uruguay, but the selected content will not lose sight of what is happening in the region and around the world.
Theinstructors for the diploma program—one of the “program’s strengths,” according to Díaz Maggioli, due to their experience and track record—carefully examined the situation in countries where English is the native language. They also found a “vast amount of knowledge in Latin America that has not been fully taught or disseminated.”
For this reason, it is an international initiative designed for “colleagues from all over the world.” It is intended for English teachers, teacher trainers, supervisors, coordinators, department heads, as well as teachers who use English as a medium of instruction.
Several of the professionals who will be teaching in the graduate program were also present at the launch event for the diploma program, which was held virtually and in English. Mag. Nicolás Dantaz, Mag. Natalia Zambon, Dr. Federico Melián, Lic. Eugenia Carrión, and Lic. Marina González described their roles in the program and the characteristics of the courses in the curriculum they will be teaching.
We hope this diploma will have a positive impact on the students' learning.
Díaz Maggioli.
The Specialization Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, which will be offered entirely online and in English, will begin in April 2022.