Swansea Metropolitan University

School of Education

 

Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Modern Foreign Languages

 

If you are a native speaker of French and would like to teach your language in a secondary school in England or Wales, the initial teacher training programme at Swansea Metropolitan University will allow you to obtain a Secondary Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE - MFL) and qualified teacher status to teach French to all abilities in the 11 to 19 age range.

 

Financial support available to trainees

 

EU nationals admitted to the PGCE - MFL teacher training programme at Swansea Metropolitan University and classed as EU trainees for the 2010/2011 academic year are eligible to receive a £6000 tax-free training grant.  There is no application procedure to complete and the grant does not have to be repaid. The grant is paid in nine monthly instalments. 

 

Please note.  EU nationals who have not been ordinarily resident in the EU over the three year period prior to application may not qualify for receipt of the training grant.  Non EU nationals are not eligible to receive the training grant.

 

Applications are being accepted for the PGCE - MFL which begins in September 2010.  The Secondary PGCE is run jointly between Swansea Metropolitan University and more than 70 secondary schools in the South Wales region.  The training programme is 36 weeks in duration and split between 24 weeks of teaching practice in two schools and 12 weeks of study within the School of Education at Swansea Metropolitan University.  For an overview of the programme, click on the PGCE - MFL Calendar tab at the top of this page.

 

Entry requirements

 

In order to apply you must :

 

• be a native speaker of French

 

• have a minimum educational standard of a ‘licence’ (niveau bac + 3 validé)

 

• have a command of spoken and written English equivalent to a minimum of IELTS Level 6

 

• have a grade of 10 or more (as a mark on 20) in Mathematics in the French baccalauréat

 

Candidates will be required to attend a selection interview in Swansea before an offer of a place on the course can be made.

 

Tuition fees

 

All UK universities charge tuition fees.  Tuition fees in Wales for the 2010/2011 academic year are fixed at £3290 for EU nationals, but financial help is available to pay the fees.

 

Please note.  EU nationals who have not been ordinarily resident in the EU over the three year period prior to application may not qualify for payment of tuition fees at the EU student rate.  

 

If you are an EU national and classed as an EU trainee, you will be eligible to apply for a 0% UK government tuition fee loan.

 

Please note : Though currently 0%, interest rates on a loan from the Student Loans Company are subject to change.

 

The UK government loan scheme is administered by the Student Loans Company.  Following the completion of an application form, tuition fees will be paid on your behalf directly to Swansea Metropolitan University by the Student Loans Company. 

 

You become eligible to repay the loan once you are working and earning an annual salary of more than £15000.   At this level of income, the UK government will recover the loan via the Student Loans Company, which will establish a monthly repayment schedule, based on a calculation of 9% of earnings over the repayment threshold of an annual salary of £15000.  The loan repayments are deducted directly by your employer from your salary, together with deductions for tax and other mandatory contributions.

 

Programme description of the 12 week taught component at the School of Education, Swansea Metropolitan University

 

The taught component is split into Curriculum Studies and Professional Studies.

 

Curriculum Studies focuses on :

 

• The methodology of teaching a modern foreign language

 

• The National Curriculum, exam courses and syllabuses

 

• Lesson planning, teaching and class management

 

• Monitoring and assessment of pupils’ work

 

The Professional Studies programme aims to introduce how the day to day work of teachers fits into a wider context by exploring educational research, policy and guidance in key areas.  The programme covers core concerns for schools which are :

 

• organising and ensuring continuity in the curriculum and learning experiences

 

• catering for differences, special needs, pastoral care

 

• professional values and professional development, teachers’ responsibilities, child welfare, improving school effectiveness

 

School experience programme

 

You will spend a total of 24 weeks in two different schools, working under the joint supervision of a senior teacher and your curriculum tutors.  You are allocated a mentor with whom there is a weekly meeting to set training targets and activities.

 

Assessment

 

There are no formal exams.  During the year, you will complete and submit coursework assignments in both Curriculum Studies (currently there are three of these assignments) and in Professional Studies (currently there are two of these).

 

During school placements, teachers and tutors will formally observe and assess a number of your lessons and at the end of each term you will receive a written report which summarises your progress towards meeting the required standard.

 

Application

 

Contact Helena Zak, PGCE - MFL Co-ordinator, School of Education, Swansea Metropolitan University for information about the application procedure.

 

e-mail : hzak@9business.fr

Tel : + 33 (0)4 72 30 19 09