First there was PRELIM (Partnered Remote Language Improvement Project) 1, then came PRELIM 2, both joint initiatives from English UK and IATEFL, with support from the teacher training organisation Norwich Institute of Language Education (NILE), and funding from the British Council, to improve the confidence of teachers working in English. Now, on the back of the success of both these programmes, comes PRELIM 3.
This time, the aim is to create bespoke packages to support teachers of English in their classrooms, taking into account their curriculum, class size, local teaching methods, available technology and whatever else is particular to them.
Whereas PRELIM 1 and 2 were short-term partnerships, PRELIM 3 will support up to 20 partnership projects between language centres and English teacher associations that will run from January 2023 to March 2024, providing each one with £15,000 of funding from the British Council.
“We are very excited that PRELIM has evolved into longer-term projects with the opportunity to develop deeper relationships between the ELT centres and the overseas teachers’ associations,” says Annie Wright, joint acting chief executive of English UK. “Centres will relish this new challenge and also see it as fantastic CPD to create bespoke materials for teachers working in very different contexts to their own.”
Ways in which the partnership may develop include workshops, video presentations, online platforms and webinars, and mentor or buddy schemes.
The deadline for applications from English teacher associations is 14 November, from ELT centres it’s 21 November and for Accreditation UK ELT centres and ETAs to take part it’s 21 November.
