Perspectives for foreign language teachers’ professional development in the German-Polish border region

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to identify key areas as well as to offer an overview of significant topics that should be addressed within training for foreign language teachers, enabling them to use the educational potential of the German-Polish border region in intercultural foreign languages teaching. In order to achieve this goal, in the first part of the paper the main concepts of pupiloriented education in a border region will be described (i.e. cross-border cooperation, learner-orientation, region-orientation, participation, sustainability, and competence for successful living and communicating in a border region), as they give insights into the essential fields of knowledge and skills that should be aimed at in terms of teacher-oriented activities during the process of professionalisation. On this basis, in the second part of the article, concrete recommendations on priority topics within the professional development of foreign language teachers will be made, according to the specific educational potential of the German-Polish border region.