French Language for Education

The French Language with a view to Education uses the newest scientific outcomes from the spheres of linguistics, literature and culture and didactic methods of foreign languages, and also reflects the developments in France and other francophone countries. Therefore, this course encompasses both the core linguistic, literary-historic and intercultural disciplines as well as the didactic disciplines. Emphasis is placed on acquiring active knowledge of contemporary language and culture, based on a solid methodological approach. Students can test the results of this approach in professional work experience placements. The structure of this course is designed to encourage students to master independent development and the employment of all their gained knowledge and skills, and their creative application in both educational or non-educational practice. The course aims to provide students with pedagogical, psychological, communicative and other formative skills needed for the follow-up Master's degree - French language teaching for primary schools.

Who does not know foreign languages, knows nothing of his own.
(J. W. Goethe - Maximes and reflections)

Because of the educational characteristics that this course is based on and its work experience programmes, it is only available at the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University (MU). It is complemented by the University's well-structured foundation and ongoing pedagogical and psychological work experience, and training in schools that collaborate with the Faculty. Unlike the philologically oriented studies based at the Faculty of Philosophy, the French Language with a view to Education is part of the field of Teacher Education and can be followed-up with the Master's degree course French language teaching for primary schools, which is also based only at the Faculty of Education.

Aims - Department of Education:

Through studying for the Bachelor’s degree graduates gain the necessary competences that allow them to critically apply the use of their pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teaching assistant or other educational worker (e.g. free-time instructor in youth centres or after-school clubs, in various civic associations engaged in pedagogical activities) in an appropriate manner.

The degree develops students’ analytical and comparative skills, which enable them to understand the diverse pedagogical reality and to use subject-specific, pedagogical, and psychological publications in their work for planning, implementing and reflecting on educational activities. They develop communication skills important for communication and collaboration with pupils/clients, colleagues in the workplace, with parents of pupils/clients and with practitioners. An important benefit of the degree is the development of self-reflective skills that provide space for the development of attitudes towards one another, to educated individuals and to the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, the acceptance of the moral obligations of a helping profession and its ethics.

The studies emphasise the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects); the principle of sequence and gradation of themes and courses, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is also characterized by the interdependence of theory and practice. An important part of the concept is the reflective teaching practice. The principles of reflection on teaching practice and self-reflection are related both to practice and to other experience-oriented subjects. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is perceived as a cross-curricular theme (also supported by a separate course).

Practical training

Practical training is an obligatory part of the curriculum for this field. Work experience programmes are carried out in accordance with the Guidelines for Educating Future Teachers.

Practical Training - Department of Education:

The system of compulsory teaching practice is aimed at developing the students’ professional competences and preparing them for the full-fledged role of a teaching assistant. The aim of the teaching assistant practice is to acquire the necessary skills for individual work with a pupil outside the process of teaching (tutoring at school in the pupils’ homes) and also when working with a teacher during lessons.

The teaching practice consists of a coherent system of consecutive subjects, which are taken from the third to the fifth semester of the degree. These are the subjects teaching assistant practice - tutoring 1, teaching assistant practice - tutoring 2, consisting of individual tutoring (60 hours), teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 1 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 2 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice – teaching assistant 3. Overall, there 180 hours of teaching practice.

In the third and fourth semesters, the teaching practice is followed by the subjects self-experiential preparation for the profession 1 and self- experiential preparation for the profession 2, in which the students of the teaching assistant practice reflect (24 hours). Their aim is to enable students to have real experience with selected themes (see seminar topics) regarding personal and professional development through experiential learning with an emphasis on reflection; to encourage students to gradually take responsibility for their own learning process (self-directed learning); to enable students to become aware of and, if necessary, to revise their attitudes towards their future profession.

The system of teaching practice is regularly evaluated both through closed and open questions, both by students and the mentor teachers. The reflective seminars are also evaluated.

Further information

https://francouzstina.ped.muni.cz/

For successful entrance into the study, the knowledge of the language in the upper secondary school level is assumed, ie level A2-B1. Language competencies can be further developed by students in accordance with their individual needs through optional subjects.

The graduates of this study programme are able to find employment in an education environment; have acquired basic professional knowledge with didactic components and are ready to apply for the follow-up MSc degree French language teaching for primary schools. In accordance with the §20 regulation no. 563/2004 (educational staff), they can work as teaching assistants, after-school and adult learning programme instructors, language school instructors, halls of residence instructors as well as in various public institutions which provide educational activities.

No information available

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Minimum score and numbers of accepted applicants in past years

After completion of the Bachelor's degree, it is possible to continue further studies on any Master's degree program (after satisfying the admission requirements). At the Faculty of Education, MU, students can apply for admission to a follow-up Master's degree in French language teaching for primary schools (both as single or double subject courses). The single subject course is also taken in a combined form.