Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
School Teaching Placement
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, Spanish
Teaching staff
Dr. Angélica Carlet, acarlet@uic.es
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
Basic and General
CB7 - To know how to apply the acquired knowledge and problem-solving abilities in new or little-known environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to one’s area of study.
CB8 - To be able to acquire knowledge and deal with the complexity of formulating judgments based on information that, although incomplete or limited, includes reflections on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of one’s knowledge and judgments.
CB9 - To know how to communicate one’s conclusions and the latest knowledge and the supporting arguments to specialist and non-specialist audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.
CB10 - To possess the learning skills that allow one to continue studying in a way that will be largely individual or autonomous.
CG1 - To search for, obtain, process, summarise and communicate information (oral, printed, audiovisual, digital or multimedia-based), transform it into knowledge and apply it to teaching English as a foreign language.
CG2 - To develop critical thinking, problem solving, decision-making or inquiry skills, and apply these to educational reality with the aim of promoting students’ autonomy, creativity, confidence and personal initiative.
CG3 - To manage work time based on learning priorities and objectives, promoting self-learning.
CG4 - To communicate decision-making in the field of teaching English as a foreign language based on solid arguments.
CG5 - To possess sufficient pedagogical and organisational skills to create a safe learning environment in one’s classes and foster responsible and autonomous learning for students. CG6 - To be able to effectively work as a part of a team in multilingual, multicultural and interdisciplinary professional and/or academic environments.
Transversal
CT1 - To apply pedagogically innovative models and educational research on the acquisition, teaching and use of English as a foreign language to specific cases, to a specific school context and/or contexts related to education, so that the theoretical knowledge acquired is suitably connected to the educational practice.
CT2 - To critically analyse one’s own work and use appropriate resources and strategies to achieve professional improvement.
CT3 - To incorporate information and communication technology (ICTs) into teaching and learning activities, teaching management and professional development.
CT4 - To generate innovative and competitive proposals in professional or research activity.
CT5 - To express oneself in public and give presentations with digital support adapted to the different interest groups in the school environment (teachers, families, students, etc.)
Specific
CE4 - To effectively apply digital resources for the teaching and learning of English and manage and promote computer-assisted language teaching programmes.
CE5 - To plan the process of teaching and learning English as a foreign language and its literature and culture at different educational stages, taking the students’ level and previous knowledge into account.
CE6 - To design innovative teaching proposals that promote the development of students’ linguistic, multilingual and intercultural competences, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages; while also promoting reflection, openness and respect towards other languages and cultures.
CE7 - To analyse and evaluate the development of students’ linguistic competence in English at different educational stages, based on the requirements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
CE11 - To use academic skills in English, both orally and in writing inside and outside the classroom as well as all the communication techniques typical of teachers of this language.
CE12 - To recognise the phonetic and phonological aspects of English, apply them in the classroom and start to teach English as a foreign language pronunciation.
Learning outcomes of the subject
The learning outcomes that will be required of the students will be linked to the selected competences in each case. Among others, the following stand out:
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
Teaching and learning activities
Online
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Online Teaching Methodology |
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CA – Learning agreements |
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Learning activities |
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PE- School Teaching Placement |
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TI- Individual Autonomous Work |
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TL – Online Tutorials |
Evaluation systems and criteria
Online
School placement attendance is mandatory; the hours and days must be previously agreed upon with the school. Once the placement period is over, the students will be required to write a portfolio explaining their experience and demonstrating the knowledge and skills they have acquired (60% of the final mark). The school tutor will also write a report assessing the attitude, participation, skills and knowledge acquired by the students (40% of the final mark).
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Assessment Criteria |
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Proposal for educational intervention / Portfolio - 60% |
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Report - 40% |
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.