Bachelor of Education in Languages

This programme will provide opportunities for school-leavers with proven ability and interest in languages to acquire a high level of cultural and communicative competence in two languages. The languages students can choose from are French, German, Irish, Japanese and Spanish. You will choose two of these.

The programme is four years in duration and includes a number of school-based teaching practice placements. These include a six-week placement in the spring semester of year two and a further ten week placement in autumn semester of year four. These placements are designed to provide you, the student teacher, with practice-based opportunities for professional development supported via the supervision of faculty members of the University. 

Prior to the completion of your teacher education studies you will need to provide verifiable evidence of an immersive educational experience in the curricular language of a minimum of four weeks duration. This may be accessed in two blocks, each of which must be at least two weeks. At least one of these blocks must be in a setting where the language is the vernacular language of the region/country.

The immersive educational experience(s) must be one of the following:
 

• attending a language course
• working as a staff member in an educational setting
• conducting an action research project which is of relevance to your teaching studies
• engaging in School Placement.

By the end of this course, graduates will:        
 

• Demonstrate the required skills to competently and confidently teach through the target languages
• Apply their professional knowledge base to planning and implementing appropriate teaching, learning and assessment strategies and integrate this knowledge with qualities of inquiry and reflective practice
• Observe, reflect and critique practice in a variety of educational settings as well as engaging in non-teaching activities.
• Demonstrate the professional competencies identified in the Teaching Council’s Codes of Professional Conduct for Teachers
• Exercise sound judgement, based on well-considered educational principles, in their planning, design and delivery of relevant disciplinary based teaching and learning experiences in second-level schools
• Develop the personal and interpersonal skills necessary to promote the academic, social and personal development of students in their care

Year 1

Semester 1    
 

• Contemporary Understandings and Thinking on Education    
• Elective Language 1 Module    
• Elective Language 1 Literature Module    
• Elective Language 2 Module    
• Elective Language 2 Literature Module    

Semester 2    
 

• Understanding Young People and How They Learn
• Educational Technologies for Teaching and Learning    
• Elective Language 1 Module    
• Elective Language 1 Literature Module    
• Elective Language 2 Module    
• Elective Language 2 Literature Module    

Year 2

Semester 3    
 

• Planning for Learning    
• Understanding Classroom Practice    
• Language Pedagogy 1    
• Elective Language 2 Module    
• Elective Language 1 Module    

Semester 4    
 

• School Placement 1    
• Language Pedagogy 2    

Year 3

Semester 5    
 

• Curriculum and Policy Studies    
• Inclusive Education 1 Contemporary Perspectives    
• Optional elective module. Students will select one module from a tailored suite of elective modules designed to broaden and enrich their understanding of languages education.
• Elective Language 1 Module    
• Elective Language 2 Module    

Semester 6    
 

• Inclusive Education 2: Special Education Needs    
• Elective Language 1 Module    
• Elective Language 1 Literature Module    
• Elective Language 2 Module    
• Elective Language 2 Literature Module    

Year 4

Semester 7    
 

• School Placement 2    

Semester 8    
 

• Teacher as Professional    
• Elective Language 1 Module    
• Elective Language 1 Literature Module    
• Elective Language 2 Module    
• Elective Language 2 Literature Module    

Minimum grades  
 

• Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with a minimum of six subjects which must include: Two H5 (Higher Level) grades and Four O6 (Ordinary Level) grades or Four H7 (Higher Level) grades (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English).
• Note: Grade F6 in Foundation Mathematics also satisfies the minimum entry requirements. Foundation Maths is not reckonable for scoring purposes

Subject requirements    
 

• In addition, applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate, or an approved equivalent: H3 in Higher Level French or German or Irish or Spanish or Japanese.

Tuition Fees

These are based on Residency, Citizenship, Course requirements.

Review the three groups of criteria to determine your fee status as follows
 

1. Residency
    
   • You must have been living in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course
      
2. Citizenship
    
   • You must be a citizen of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland or have official refugee status
      
3. Course Requirements (all must be met)
    
   • You must be a first time full-time undergraduate (Exceptions are provided for students who hold a Level 6 or Level 7 qualification and are progressing to a Level 8 course in the same general area of study).
   • You must be undertaking a full-time undergraduate course of at least 2 year’s duration
   • You cannot be undertaking a repeat year of study at the same level unless evidence of exceptional circumstances eg serious illness is provided (in which case this condition may be waived)

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this programme are qualified for appointment to all second-level schools (vocational, secondary, community and comprehensive schools).  Graduates achieving an adequate standard may also proceed to obtain a higher degree by research.