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About the Oilte pilot project The first phase of Oilte began in Autumn 2001. A group of 19 practising language teachers from around Ireland trained as trainers for subsequent in-service courses. With assistance and guidance from both Irish and international experts working in the field of CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning), a 10-hour in-service training module was developed. The training module was adapted to the needs of the three levels of education, namely: first and second levels and Further Education. Oilte courses cater for language teachers who have at least basic computer skills such as word processing and a familiarity with the use of the Internet. The languages addressed in Oilte are Irish, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Japanese. Courses focus on developing skills in the use of technology for teaching and learning in the language classroom. This in turn will increase confidence on the part of teachers in the selection and use of electronically based resources. A total of 15 courses were held as part of the pilot stage (Spring 2002) of the project. Five of these courses were aimed at First level, seven courses at Second level and three more were offered to teachers involved in Further Education. Oilte is not a basic skills' training programe: applicants should have acquired basic computer skills prior to doing an Oilte course. |