Teacher Training: Modern Languages PGCE & GTP

Why Modern Languages at the University of Nottingham?

Your team of tutors works very closely together with partnership schools to offer you a course that is relevant to the changing demands of languages teaching and to support you closely throughout the different stages of the year.

 

Outstanding Ofsted results

"The overall effectiveness of the University of Nottingham in securing high quality outcomes for trainees is outstanding."

Ofsted 2010

 

What are the Modern Languages PGCE and GTP courses about?

The course is designed to equip future teachers with the means of making language learning purposeful, enjoyable and relevant for learners of all abilities. The modern languages method course reflects these current developments within the context of the new National Curriculum, the introduction of languages in Primary schools, GCSE and post-16 pathways and the world of industry, work and leisure.

What will you do?

On this course you will have the advantage of studying the methodology of language teaching and learning in multi-lingual groups, thus encouraging discussion and exchange of ideas drawn from several different languages. At the same time, you are able to pursue and develop specific language skills independently and according to your individual needs. You will develop a portfolio of materials and examples of work through supported study and collaboration in a programme called ‘Subject Knowledge Enhancement’ (SKE), in order to maintain and improve your languages skills. The focus of SKE is to be able to teach confidently through the medium of the target language.  

During the first term, theory and practice are combined. Students attend lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, discussion groups and micro-teaching sessions, as well as making materials. They observe lessons, assist teachers at work and teach a number of lessons independently during the School Experience placement. This helps to prepare student teachers for the main teaching practice in the second term. The strong links between the School of Education and Partnership schools enable tutors to work closely with mentors, so that practising teachers are involved in the planning and delivery of much of the course.

What are the topics you will study?

A wide variety of topics is covered including:

• Intellectual development, language acquisition and modern language teaching
• Communicative teaching and intercultural understanding
• The new National Curriculum, Key Stage 3 Strategy and the GCSE
• Languages in Primary schools and the Key Stage 2 Strategy
• Behaviour for Learning
• Special Educational Needs
• The role of grammar
• Lesson planning and preparation
• Information and Communication Technology
• Linguistic Skills
• Teaching resources and materials
• Post-16 pathways.

In the third term, further experience takes the form of a school-based inquiry, negotiated according to students' individual needs and interests. This includes the opportunity for student teachers to work independently or in groups on specific projects, for example, the creative use of language, the use of information technology in the languages classroom, the development of pupil autonomy and developing languages in Primary schools.