Twenty-eighth International Conference on Learning

Abstract

The outcomes of this study are derived from an ELT consultancy intervention, which is a branch of a larger national bilingualism project in Colombia. This project attempts to create a solid sphere for continuous EFL teacher development to foster the enrichment of optimal teaching practices. This project has been conducted during three academic years with the collaboration of three entities that encourage bilingualism in all the sectors of formal education. This bilingualism project has impacted more than 400 teachers. However, the participants involved in this consultancy are 14 primary school teachers and 9 high school English teachers from 4 public schools. The main objectives of this intervention are to improve the quality of English teaching in public schools in Colombia and to strengthen teacher education. Other goals such as the creation of learning communities for English teachers ascribed to the public sector, the transformation of the English curricula, the assessment of the current teaching practices, and the inclusion of research in the classroom are also relevant aspects that this project wants to achieve. Quantitative and qualitative methods have been used during the project to identify the different aspects surrounding bilingual education and teacher training in Colombia. A plethora of positive results such as the language certification of teachers, the creation of an annual ELT summit, and the implementation of a renovated curriculum have been accomplished so far. Nevertheless, some downfalls such as the lack of resources to teach are being revised for further improvement.