Theory and Practice in EFL Teacher Education: Bridging the Gap

This volume addresses the complex issues surrounding language teacher education, especially in EFL, and the development of professionalism in this field. By applying such concepts as Shulman's "pedagogical content knowledge", the development of teachers' knowledge base is investigated in a variety of settings, thus underpinning the contextual nature of teacher learning. The vital role of critical reflection at all stages of teacher development is shown to be an integral part of language teachers' knowledge constructions in areas such as pedagogical grammar, assessment and testing. The contributions shed light also on the perception and development of teacher expertise. This volume sets out to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and in so doing shows that these constructs are far from monolithic. Rather, both theory and practice are created and developed dynamically in close interrelation.