Tutor: Cheryl Mackay
Duration: Full time - 10 months
Requirements: Applicants should ensure that their degree includes at least 50% of subject specific (Modern Languages) studies. As part of their degree applicants should normally have spent a year abroad. Applicants with a Masters Degree in Linguistics in Modern Languages or any other combined degrees with languages should also contact the university tutor for eligibility information. Applicants must have a GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above before commencement of the PGCE Course.
School experience for UK applicants: Some recent experience in a Secondary School is required by the time of interview.
School Experience for Foreign Nationals (French, German or Spanish native speakers): Candidates who were not educated in the UK system themselves are expected to have acquired more extensive first hand experience of our schools. We would recommend you spend at least 6 months working in a secondary school or schools, possibly as a foreign language assistant.
Qualification: This course qualifies you to teach modern languages to pupils aged 11 - 18.
The aim of the modern foreign languages course is to prepare students to teach one or more of these subjects, depending on your entry qualification and preferences. The University and its Partnership Schools have co-operated closely in planning the course and in co-ordinating their respective contributions. University-based sessions focus in the first place upon issues common to the teaching of any foreign language. Particular aspects of the teaching of French, German and Spanish are dealt with in additional language specific sessions.
The Partnership Schools provide opportunities for participant observation, for continuous teaching practice, and other opportunities for professional learning. School placements are arranged, as far as possible, so as to offer experience which suits each trainee’s particular combination of languages. The course sets out to:
University-based sessions are largely interactive, with a strong initial emphasis on learning through doing.
First Stage: Leading up to the first teaching placement, students concentrate upon the planning and delivery of teaching sequences, and upon the development of listening and speaking skills before proceeding to those of reading and writing. Students are also introduced to aspects of assessment and public examinations, as well as to possible applications of ICT in the MFL classroom.
Second Stage: Leading up to the final teaching placement we build on much of what is covered in stage one by looking at longer term progression in language learning and the implications for planning. Contributions to the course are made by teachers and visiting speakers as well as by University tutors.
Partnership schools like working with Newcastle University trainees and many of our trainees are offered jobs in local schools. Our employment record is very good and compares favourably with that of comparable providers. One of our former MFL trainees was awarded the Training and Development Agency for schools prize for "Most promising new teacher" at the National Teaching Awards ceremony, 2004.
If you think that this is the course for you and you think you meet our entrance requirements, we would be very happy to receive an application from you. Please note that if it is some time since you were last in a secondary school in this country, you should make every effort to the visit the MFL Department of a secondary school (a one or two day visit will probably suffice) and to observe some lessons, so you can discuss this in an informed way at interview.
We believe in going for the best, and have been highly commended by OFSTED for the quality of our admissions policy and our selection procedures. Therefore we seek to recruit trainees who:
Applications are welcome from native speakers and from graduates qualified in one or more of the following languages: French, German and Spanish. All applicants with main German or Spanish are also expected to offer French at a level that allows them to teach pupils in Key Stage 3 at least.
For candidates with no French or very elementary or rusty French there is the option of referral to a Teacher Development Agency (TDA) funded French extension course. Our nearest extension course provider is Hull University. The course runs for three months full-time in the summer and includes a short placement in France. Last year we had five trainees on our PGCE course who came through the Hull extension course route. The course really helped to boost their confidence and subject knowledge in French; without this, we would have been unable to offer them a place on the course. So, it you are a Germanist or Hispanist – please don’t let your rusty or non-existent French put you off applying to us. We can make you an offer of a place at Newcastle which is conditional upon successful completion of the Hull French extension course.
Please note we also welcome applications from German/Spanish or Spanish/German dual linguists. Such applicants would, however, also be expected to offer French at least to pupils in Key Stage 3, and can be referred to the Hull Extension Course.
Candidates wishing to teach French and German are expected to have enough German for Key Stage 3 teaching purposes. German subject knowledge is assessed at interview. For candidates with very elementary or rusty German there is the option of referral to a Teacher Development Agency (TDA) funded German extension course. Newcastle University is a German extension course provider. The course runs for three months full-time in the summer and includes a two week placement in Hamburg. For more details please see www.ncl.ac.uk/sml/german-extension/
Our experience of extension courses is that they really help to boost confidence and subject knowledge. So, please don’t let your rusty German put you off applying to us for a place to teach French with German. We can make you an offer of a place on our PGCE course which is conditional upon successful completion of the Newcastle German extension course.
And finally, the Newcastle German extension course is also available for candidates with no prior knowledge of German. For single French linguists in particular, the course offers considerable benefits – not least in terms of employability. If you are a single French linguist and interested in being considered for the Newcastle German extension course, please contact the PGCE course leader for further information – cheryl.mackay@ncl.ac.uk. Please note, if you would like to be considered for the German Extension course, it is helpful to contact liz.o'sullivan@newcastle.ac.uk the German Extension Course (GEC) administrator to book a provisional place.
Tel: 0191 222 6581
Fax: 0191 222 6546
E-mail: pgce-education@ncl.ac.uk