Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
School Teaching Placement
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
Introduction
The aim of the subject School Teaching Placement, a fundamental part of teacher training, is to offer a wide range of experiences to our master’s students and enhance their knowledge and teaching practices in actual school contexts. Students will therefore have the opportunity to come into contact with educational institutions that will enrich their own personal and professional background. The Master’s Degree in Language Acquisition and Teaching English as a Foreign Language includes a 10 ECTS (approximately 160 hours) in-school placement, the objective of which is to provide students experience in the field of teaching English as a foreign language and enable them to put into practice the knowledge acquired in the Master’s Degree.
Pre-course requirements
Students must have passed all Module I subjects (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in the first semester and be enrolled in Module II.
Objectives
- To collect data during the placement to create new knowledge for the portfolio and for the TFM
- To keep a weekly journal with reflections and observations
- To relate theory and practice
- To design and implement a unit plan
- To assess one’s own classroom performance
- To become familiar with how schools are organised (staff structure, developed plans, meetings, etc.)
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN02 - The student will be able to recognise the phonetic and phonological aspects of English in the classroom, to begin teaching the pronunciation of English as a foreign language.
- CP02 - The student will be able to apply teaching and organisational skills to create a safe learning environment in their classes, in a way that encourages students' responsible and autonomous learning.
- CP03 - The student will be able to work as part of a team effectively in multilingual, multicultural, interdisciplinary, professional and/or academic environments.
- CP04 - The student will be able to use adequate resources and strategies to improve as a professional.
- CP05 - The student will be able to integrate information and communication technologies into teaching and learning activities, teaching management and professional development.
- CP06 - The student will be able to generate innovative and competitive suggestions as a professional and as a researcher
- CP07 - The student will be able to plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language, in addition to English language literature and culture at different educational levels, taking into account the level and previous education of pupils.
- CP08 - The student will be able to design innovative teaching proposals that encourage pupils to develop their linguistic, multilingual and intercultural skills, according to the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- CP09 - The student will be able to assess the development of pupils’ English language skills during different stages of education, according to the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- CP11 - The student will respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, the promotion of human rights, and the values inherent to a culture of democracy and peace, using language that avoids androcentricity and stereotypes.
- HB01 - The student will be able to recognise the phonetic and phonological aspects of English in the classroom, to begin teaching the pronunciation of English as a foreign language.
- HB02 - The student will be able to make judgements based on limited or incomplete information, including reflections on social and ethical responsibilities
- HB03 - The student will know how to communicate conclusions and the reasoning behind them to specialised and non-specialised audiences in a clear and unambiguous way
- HB04 - The student will be able to apply skills that allow them to continue studying in a largely self-directed or autonomous way.
- HB05 - The student will be able to apply information (spoken, written, video, digital or multimedia) to the teaching of English as a foreign language.
- HB06 - The student will be able to apply critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and research skills to an educational context, with the aim of fostering pupil autonomy, creativity, confidence and personal initiative.
- HB07 - The student will be able to organise their working time according to their learning priorities and objectives, encouraging self-learning.
- HB08 - The student will be able to offer informed decision-making in the field of teaching English as a foreign language.
- HB09 - The student will be able to apply educational innovation and research models to the acquisition, teaching and use of English as a foreign language in specific circumstances, in the school context, and/or in contexts related to education, in a way that links theoretical knowledge with educational practice.
- HB10 - The student will be able to provide a critical analysis of their own work.
- HB11 - The student will be able to provide explanations in public and make presentations using digital media adapted to different audiences in a school context (teachers, families, students, etc.).
- HB14 - The student will be able to make effective use of digital resources for teaching and learning the English language.
- HB17 - The student will be able to express themselves in English, both orally and in writing, and both inside and outside the classroom, undertaking all the communication functions that are typical of an English language teacher.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students should be able to:
- Manage a class group effectively, while taking student diversity into account.
- Cooperate with the training team and the different social agents based on the academic objectives of the school’s mission.
- Plan and adapt techniques and strategies for teaching English as a foreign language based on the contextual needs generated in the classroom and the educational needs of the students.
- Incorporate information and communication technology (ICTs) into teaching and learning activities, teaching management and professional development.
- Plan, develop and evaluate the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language, while bearing in mind the level and previous knowledge of the students, as well as their orientation, both individually and in conjunction with other teachers and professionals in the school.
- Plan, implement and evaluate teaching proposals with the aim of developing multilingual and intercultural competences as well as reflect on them, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while promoting a feeling of openness and respect towards other languages and cultures.
- Analyse and evaluate the development of students’ linguistic competence in English at different educational stages based on the process of acquiring English as a foreign language, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
- Correctly use English as the language of instruction both orally and in writing.
- Apply basic knowledge of the phonetic and phonological aspects of English in the classroom and start teaching English as a foreign language pronunciation.
Syllabus
The teaching placement includes the process of observing, diagnosing, planning and implementing a teaching unit in English. The placements must allow participants to establish a relationship between theory and practice, putting into action key competences such as teamwork, social responsibility and critical and reflective thinking. Each student will be assigned a tutor at both the University and the placement school, who will provide guidance throughout the placement period.
In accordance with the Master’s Degree in Language Acquisition and Teaching English as a Foreign Language study guide, the content of this subject includes:
a) Planning innovative and shared educational programmes, projects and processes
b) Classroom management based on the application of innovative teaching proposals
c) Teaching strategies applied at school and their relationship with the theoretical framework
d) Educational practice and classroom management models and context-based assessment
e) Didactic resources applied to teacher training
f) Knowledge of the students’ socio-emotional development
g) Observation as a recording instrument
h) Responsibility as a key element in teacher training and practice
i) ICTs as an instrument for improving the teaching and learning process
Bibliography and resources
Bullock, D. (2004). Moving from theory to practice: An examination of the factors that preservice teachers encounter as the attempt to gain experience teaching with technology during field placement experiences. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 12(2), 211-237.
Fuertes, M.T. (2011). La observación de las prácticas educativas como elemento de evaluación y de mejora de la calidad en la formación inicial y continua del profesorado. Revista de Docenci Universitaria vol9, nº 3. A: http://red-u.net/redu/files/journals/1/articles/248/public/248-647-1-PB.pdf
Henderson, J., Winitzky, N., & Kauchak, D. (1996). Effective teaching in advanced placement classrooms. The Journal of Classroom Interaction, 29-35.
Ng, W., Nicholas, H., & Williams, A. (2010). School experience influences on pre-service teachers' evolving beliefs about effective teaching. Teaching and teacher education, 26(2), 278-289.