Developing the artistry of the teacher in Steiner/Waldorf Education (Part II)

After describing the general Steiner/Waldorf teacher education program in the previous article (Part I), this article will examine the additional courses specifically required for teaching English as a foreign language. It considers Rudolf Steiner’s concept of a specific ‘sense for language’ as a basis for a performative approach to foreign language teaching and learning and discusses the implications of research on linguistic-kinesic behaviour for foreign language learning and for teacher education at Freie Hochschule Stuttgart (Waldorf Teachers College). It describes performative approaches to teaching poetry and prose fiction and explains the central role which both authentic literature and different forms of informal learning play in Steiner/Waldorf foreign language teaching and learning. Finally, it discusses a Steiner/Waldorf approach to teaching literature rooted in an understanding of teaching as an art.