Working in partnership

Recruitment and retention

Articles and resource support | Summaries

PGCE primary placement in France (pf), Westwood C. (2007), NACELL Bulletin, 21

A student studying to become a primary teacher with French at Liverpool Hope University recalls her experience of teaching in France. Her teacher training course included a one-month school experience in a primary school in France.

Teacher training and development … Modern Languages extension course opportunities (pdf), Ting S. (2007) Community Languages, 20

Teachers of community languages can find it difficult to gain places on ITE courses and later find jobs because they do not offer an additional language. This article retraces the story of two teachers to be, respectively offering Arabic and Mandarin, who decided to embark on an extension course in French in order to widen their career opportunities.

Reconceptualising PGCE Modern Foreign Languages: the merits of M level accreditation (weblink), Lawes S. (2006) Conference ‘Crossing frontiers: languages and the international dimension’, July 2006

By drawing on research on the role of theory in initial modern languages teacher education Lawes shows that there is a need to move towards a new model of teacher training courses incorporating Master’s credits. She also considers the implications of such programmes on course content, assessment and the way in which school and higher education provisions can work together.

Indeed some assert that with the introduction in the early 90s of a greater school-based element in teacher training courses, the prevalent teacher training model tends to be focussed on developing effective practice at the expense of establishing a sound theoretical context for teacher development.

This paper will be of interest to initial teacher training providers already offering, or thinking of offering, PGCE courses with Master’s accreditation.

Graduate Teacher Programme (pdf), Tomkins S-A (2006) Community Languages, 19

In the article the author describes how her colleague Mohammed Paviz managed to gain Qualified Teacher Status while working at their school. Mohammed’s path was not straightforward but his story gives an excellent example of how it is possible to gain Qualified Teacher Status by dealing with obstacles such as an unfinished degree and selecting appropriate routes such as the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP).

Qualifying to teach Panjabi: Flexible PGCE route (pdf), Kaur N (2006) Community Languages, 18

The author of the article recalls how she managed to get Qualified Teacher Status in the UK by getting her overseas qualifications recognised and studying for a Flexible PGCE at Goldsmith College at the University of London.

Qualify to teach community languages (pdf), CILT (2006) Community Languages, 18

This article gives very useful information on the range of possible routes to gain Qualify Teacher Status available to community languages specialists. It informs the reader about programmes such as Employment-based routes (EBRs), the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), the Registered Teacher programme (RTP) and the Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The article also gives information about the initial requirements to get on a course, how to get existing qualifications recognised in the UK, extension courses to develop an additional foreign language, and financial support.

PGCE Key Stage 2/3 Languages in the Community, London Metropolitan University (pdf), Issa T (2006) Community Languages, 14

It is now possible to do a one-year PGCE course in Languages in the Community at London Metropolitan University. The article describes the objectives and the content of the course and the variety of language specialists it attracts. It is an innovative course aiming to train people with community languages at KS2 and KS3.

Extension courses (pdf), Lloyd K., Cartwright S., Riordan T. (2006) Links, 33

In order to increase recruitment in modern languages teacher training courses, language extension courses are now available. These pre-PGCE courses are aimed at language graduates wishing to learn a second foreign language with the aim to teach it along with their main foreign language.

The article contains an update from the TDA about language extension courses and accounts from two providers about the courses they offer - the London Metropolitan University (French extension course) and the University of Portsmouth (German extension course).

Teach First: a case study (pdf), Jones S. A. (2005) Links, 32

Teach First recruits outstanding students wishing to learn to teach in challenging schools as soon as they have graduated while offering them business leadership training. The author of the article recalls her experience as a student who embarked on the scheme.

PGCE French Conversion at Reading University (pdf), Medley D. (2005) Links, 31

The French conversion course is the first part of a two year PGCE. It allows students holding a degree in any subject and enjoying a good level of French to develop their existing knowledge of and skills in the language with the view to be able to teach it in the future. The article is two-fold: it starts with a description of the course followed by the views of trainees who went through the French conversion course.

French extension course (pdf), Hellyer, R and Bower, K. (2004) Links, 30

In order to increase recruitment in modern languages teacher training courses, language extension courses are now available. These pre-PGCE courses are aimed at language graduates wishing to learn a second foreign language with the aim to teach it along with their main foreign language.

The article gives more detail about the scheme and provides information about the French extension courses available at Liverpool John Moore University and at the University of Hull.

Flexible and Open (pdf), Deane M. (2003) Links, 28

The Open University Flexible PGCE is available to student teachers wishing to train to teach in shortage subjects such as modern languages (French, German, Spanish). Michèle Deane, subject leader for the modern languages OU PGCE describes the structure of this PGCE course which will appeal to those wanting a more flexible route into teaching, which takes account of their previous experience, and allows them to pursue open and distance study as well as spending time in different schools. The article is followed by the testimonials of two student teachers on the Open University Flexible PGCE.

Why students withdraw from PGCE courses (pdf), Chambers, G. (2002) Links, 25

Withdrawal from PGCE courses has been increasing and this has put the spotlight on student teacher retention. The article is the summary of a piece of TTA-funded research looking into the reasons why student teachers withdraw from ITE courses The summary gives an insight into what could be done to minimise the number of student teachers dropping out.

The supply and retention of MFL teachers in London (pdf), Adams, J. (2002) Links, 25

The author of the article has been working with inner-city partner schools catering for pupils from a range of cultural The report is based on data drawn from the detailed career histories of teachers in London boroughs. The report looks into various aspects of MFL teachers in London schools, such as:

Foreign Language Assistants – future MFL teachers? (pdf), Taylor, A. (2001) Links, 24

The article reports on a course available to foreign language assistants run through the Bristol and West of England Comenius Centre and designed by two curriculum managers for languages at Soundwell College of Further Education. The author suggests that developing the interest of foreign language assistants in teaching through such courses can help them in their roles in schools as well as encourage them to become teachers themselves in the UK.

What happens to the foreign native speakers we train? (pdf), Brown, K. (2001) Links, 24

The author of this article has been following the careers of the student teacher she trained in the past and the data in the article is drawn from this longitudinal study. Her study gives a useful account of the ‘ups and downs’ of these teachers’ experiences and draws attention to the factors influencing foreign native speakers who have become teachers to remain teachers or leave the profession.

Goldsmith’s College community languages Initiative (pdf), Anderson, J. (2001) Links, 24

The aim of Goldsmith’s College community languages Initiative has been to help community languages specialists develop their ability to teach their language in addition to a European language, namely French, German or Spanish. The article looks at the programme that was developed to support these student teachers and the benefits for them, their pupils on school experience, for the supplementary and mainstream schools that welcomed them.

 

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