Foreign language teachers across the EU are being invited to express their views in a study for the European Commission regarding obstacles to their mobility in Europe.  The Commission believes it is important that all foreign language teachers have adequate experience of using their target language and understanding its culture, and that this should be gained by spending time in a country where that language is spoken and having regular opportunities to update their training.

The study comes as a result of a more recent survey of teacher mobility in the EU and to complement the work of the Commission, specifically outlined in Promoting Language Learning and Linguistic Diversity - An Action Plan 2004-2006.  CILT, the National Centre for Languages is acting as UK co-ordinator for the project on behalf of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, and Universitat Ramon Llull.

As part of the study, researchers are inviting teachers to complete a questionnaire, available in seven languages, and from January to March 2006, join a discussion forum which will address a number of key issues on the subject.  For more details and/or to complete the questionnaire, which is available online until 28 February 2006, see www.uoc.edu/in3/mobility.