Share your passion for language and culture to build international understanding
Year of entry: 2020
Show year of entry: 2019
Applications for 2020/21 entry open on Monday 30 September at 10am.
Chat to current students at our next online event and find out what studying at York is really like.
Talk to usThis course qualifies you to teach modern languages at 11-16 (with post-16 enhancement).
For many children, school is the first opportunity to learn a foreign language. As a language teacher you will not only help them to communicate, but deepen their understanding of other cultures and promote international tolerance and understanding.
We want to make sure that you have all the options you need to become the teacher you want to be. That's why we give you a range of opportunities to make your course your own.
Please note that each route has a different UCAS and institution code. See our information on applying for details.
We offer French, German and Spanish as a first or second language. We strongly encourage you to study two languages as schools expect you to be able to teach your first language to GCSE/A-level and your second language to at least KS3, ideally to GCSE. You'll attend sessions to develop your own language skills, in particular your second language.
You can choose to study this course through as a University of York PGCE trainee or through one of our School Direct routes in partnership with one of the following teaching alliances:
School Direct trainees work with University of York PGCE trainees at the University for Curriculum Area sessions. Whole School Issues sessions are usually delivered in your partner schools.
On successfully completing this course you will be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), which is awarded by the Department for Education (DfE).
The training I receive at University is so different from my undergraduate degree in its challenges and its outcomes, and I leave every session feeling like I’ve acquired or improved my life skills. Being around other trainee teachers is also a brilliant feeling, as you form a community of people who can encourage and provide tips for one another to develop daily.Beth, PGCE studentRead more about Beth's experience.
In its most recent evaluation, the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) awarded our PGCE programme a Grade 2: Good.
Your study at the University and your practical experience in schools will work together to help you develop the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you need to be a successful teacher.
Throughout the course, you’ll develop and consolidate your understanding of what constitutes effective teaching.
You’ll spend two thirds of your learning time in school settings, with the rest of your time spent at the University receiving training. While on placement, you'll receive ongoing support from your tutors who will visit you in school to observe your teaching and scrutinise your files.
This course will build on your experiences in schools and provide opportunities to explore a variety of approaches to teaching Modern Foreign Languages. You will learn specific strategies including how to tackle grammar, phonics, lesson planning and using ICT to enhance your practice. These will help you to develop into an effective and innovative MFL teacher.
This course is worth 60 Masters-level credits, which you can put towards a Masters degree through Accreditation of Prior Credited Learning (APCL).
Over the course of your two main placements you’ll have the opportunity to work with different age groups (including gaining some post-16 experience), with different abilities and with students of varying dispositions. You’ll experience a variety of schools and subject departments.
You’ll experience the pastoral side of each school through active involvement with a tutor group. You will be able to engage with the wider life of each school by participating in school trips, parents’ evenings, open evenings, events such as school concerts and lunchtime/after school clubs.
You'll start your second placement teaching about 50% of an average teacher's timetable. You may be able to increase this to around 75% as your placement goes on.
I did not anticipate how accepting my placement school would be. Trainees are treated no differently to qualified teachers, being given the same amount of respect and responsibility. It is unbelievably rewarding to be accepted into a school where everyone works together to make a positive impact on the progress of pupils.Jessa, PGCE studentRead more about Jessa's experience.
| Study mode | UK/EU | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) York's tuition fees for 2020/21 entry are £9,250 per year for UK/EU students (including Channel Islands and Isle of Man residents). Further increases within the government fee cap will apply in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can. |
£9,250 | £18,240 |
Students on a Tier 4 Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
You will be expected to arrange your own transport to and from placements. The cost of this will vary depending on the location of your placements and your personal situation. We'll make every effort to place you in a school that you are able to travel to easily.
Successful applicants must undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check. The fee for this is £44.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
You may be eligible for a bursary from the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL).
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Participation in the PGCE course is an active process. Although there are lectures and presentations, much of your learning will come from workshops, seminars and school and classroom activities.
Trainees come to the course with a range of qualifications, employment backgrounds and interests. Throughout the course you will be encouraged to work collaboratively, sharing your experience, knowledge and technical expertise. Activities emphasise teamwork and require you to share the responsibility for your learning.
Throughout the course, you will be guided by mentors in your placement schools and supported by your university tutors.
Our Modern Foreign Languages Resources Room contains subject specific materials, language learning magazines and journals, textbooks and examples of teaching and assessment files.
The Department of Education is located in Derwent College, on the west part of our campus. Most of your teaching will take place nearby on Campus West.
School placements take place across the region. We take many factors into consideration when allocating placements and will work with you to ensure you can get to your placement safely and easily.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll complete three academic assignments:
The primary aim of the course is to enable you to meet, and ideally exceed, the Teachers' Standards and be recommended for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). You will also be awarded a PGCE from the University of York at Masters level.
Most of our graduates become teachers, but the skills you learn will open other career paths too.
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| GCSEs | Grade 4 (C) or above in English and Mathematics. |
| Degree | An honours degree in German at 2:2 or above. We also accept combined honours degrees where German makes up at least 50% of the award. If you would like to specialise in two languages but have only previously studied German, you may still be considered on the condition that you complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course. Native speakers If you are a native speaker of German, you may be considered for the course even if your degree is not in a related subject. |
The Department for Education requires a pass in professional skills tests, in addition to GCSEs in English and Maths. It is in your best interests to book and pass the skills tests as soon as possible.
Subject Knowledge Enhancement courses are between 8 and 28 weeks long, and are ideal for developing your subject knowedge and improving your confidence. Some courses are available to complete online, others through distance learning or face-to-face.
We may ask you to complete a Subject Knowledge Enhancement course as a condition of your offer. If so, the course will be fully funded, so you won’t have to pay any additional fees. You may be entitled to bursaries while you complete the course.
Before starting your course we'll ask you to complete a medical declaration, to ensure your fitness to teach and to allow us to better support you during your course.
We will ask you to complete a declaration regarding any criminal convictions. Criminal convictions are not usually a bar to entry, but failure to disclose them can be grounds for dismissal. You must get clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) to join the course. If we offer you a place we'll let you know how to apply for a DBS enhanced check, for which there is a fee of £44.
If we're thinking about offering you a place, we'll invite you to an interview. These normally involve tasks such as a short presentation, group activities and a written test as well as a personal interview.
Although it is not a pre-requisite for application, you are strongly encouraged to have completed a minimum of two days observing in a school prior to interview.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current IELTS scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
To apply to York, you will need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).
Each route has a different UCAS and institution code.
We offer a range of campus accommodation to suit you and your budget, from economy to premium.
Explore campus and city life and hear what our current students have to say about living here.
Lively, full of culture and beautiful, York is regularly voted one of the best places to live and visit in the UK.
