As with the previous two PRELIM projects, PRELIM 3 matched 25 teaching asociations around the world with EnglishUK member institutions to collaboarate on a project to benefit teachers in that teaching association's country or region. For PRELIM 3 the focus was on developing resource materials, and the projects ran from December 2022 until March 2024. Once again the projects were a partnership between the British Council, English UK and IATEFL, project managed by the Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE). PRELIM 1 (2020/21) and PRELIM 2 (2021/22) aimed to improve the English language competence of participating English teachers and increase their confidence in the classroom.
All 25 partnerships delivered the primary output for the project and, as a result, new resource packages for English language teachers are available in 25 countries. Each package was informed by a needs analysis of the context and designed with local relevance, feasibility and ease of use in mind. Although dissemination was ongoing at the end of the project, feedback from the Teaching Associations and their teachers on the value of the resources was very positive.
The UK-based institutions, along with their Teaching Association partners identified a wide range of benefits to them of participating in the project. Improvements were reported by both parties in knowledge and skills in relation to several areas of ELT materials design and evaluation, project management, international collaboration, working with remote partners, and (especially for the UK-based institutions) collecting and analysing feedback data. The Teaching Associations also noted how being part of the project had enhanced their local profile. They also felt that the project had confirmed or enhanced their views about the UK as a source of expertise in ELT.
You can read the overall project report as well as finding out more about each of the individual initiative here: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/publications/case-studies-insights-and-research/partnered-remote-language-improvement-prelim-3