Professional Skills
Teaching primary languages
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Are you teaching or preparing to teach a foreign language to your class? Do you want to develop your language teaching skills? This course supports you as a teacher, teaching assistant, school-based professional or volunteer helper, whatever your level of proficiency in the language(s) you wish to teach. You’ll develop a range of language teaching strategies to enable your pupils to learn a language successfully - and enjoyably! As well as providing a range of methods, the course invites you to try them and reflect on your experiences. It is aimed at practitioners in the primary phases.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GE026 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
What you will study
This course is part of a suite of Continuing Professional Development courses (www.openuniversity.co.uk/cpdforteachers) for school practitioners that directly link to their professional practice in the classroom.
The course starts by considering the rationale for teaching languages in primary schools. It helps you to review your and your pupils’ strengths and needs for teaching and learning languages. It then provides you with practical ideas and models of how to teach languages in your primary school. You will collect, try out and reflect on strategies for oracy and literacy, intercultural understanding and knowledge about language and language learning strategies. Finally, the course considers how to embed foreign language learning in the primary curriculum.
The course is delivered through the Open University virtual learning environment. This will give you the opportunity to compare your findings and ideas and reflect on their effectiveness for your pupils’ learning with colleagues throughout the UK.
The course uses the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages (England) as one of its main reference documents and provides some introduction to its use as a teaching tool. Teachers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland may find it a useful reference and support document.
You will learn
- to develop a rationale for language teaching and learning at Key Stage 2
- a range of language teaching strategies suitable for Key Stage 2 matching the requirements of the recommended curricula
- how to embed language learning in every day classroom life
- how to analyse and evaluate your own practice.
The strong link between course learning and your work practice creates relevant, enduring and transferable outcomes. The course will take 30 hours to study and includes web text, interviews, self-assessment questions and activities. The course contains a series of bite-size chunks each devoted to both technical and managerial topics. Register online today and start tomorrow – no need to wait!
The course features the distinctive strengths of The Open University (OU) from its years of expertise in work-based learning:
- The convenience of accessing its clearly presented and sequenced materials, activities and support whenever suits you and wherever you have access to the dedicated website – if you prefer, you can print key materials to work on them offline.
- The support of an expert learning adviser who can clarify study materials, answer questions and help you relate the course to your specific needs.
- A work-based activity helping you to connect the course to your individual and organisational context and needs. This is built up from short activities during the course, leading to a Personal Development Plan. At the end of the course you send this to the learning adviser, who provides personal feedback.
- Certification of completion from the OU for those who complete the course. You can use this to demonstrate your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity to your employer and/or professional body. (N.B. The course does not carry academic credit points.)
Entry
Although there are no formal academic requirements to study any of our CPD courses, you are expected to be working in an educational environment and be able to try some activities with a group of Key Stage 2 children. The course assumes a familiarity with educational terminology.
For each course you can register and begin at any time during the life of the course. You can study at your own pace and submit your work-based activity at any date before the final submission date for the course. Information about the final submission date is available when you register for the course.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The study materials are delivered online. Learners who use screen readers or who cannot use a mouse will not be able to access some materials or some activities without assistance. Written transcripts of the audio interviews are available on the website. If you are a new learner with the OU, make sure that you have our publication Meeting Your Needs.
Study materials
What's included
All learning materials, exercises, study support and work-based activity are delivered entirely online.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Learner support
Expert, confidential learner support is available when you need it from a learning adviser, who will respond to you direct within 24 hours. Other support is available via the GE026 forum, library, StudentHome website and computing helpdesk.
Work-based activity
The work-based activity for this course is a written portfolio. It has been designed as an integrated ongoing activity that you submit at the end of your study. It will allow you to reflect on your learning and how to use it in your professional work.
Professional recognition
Successful completion of the course enables us to recognise your achievement of the course learning by issuing an OU certificate. You can use the certificate to document your commitment to continuing professional development in your personal portfolio, or to provide evidence to employers or a professional body.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | GE026 |
| Credit points | This is a non-credit bearing course. |
Study explained
- Special fee arrangements
- - the OU has relationships with many professional bodies, and as part of those relationships members may be entitled to special fee arrangements.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
Your questions
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Or contact an adviser in our Student Registration & Enquiry Service Email or call +44(0) 845 300 60 90+44(0) 845 366 60 35
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