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.

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).

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• use spoken and written French at the B2+ level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (communication competency);
• categorise basic theoretical knowledge and apply practical skills in phonetics, morphology, syntax and vocabulary (linguistic competency);
• compare their own cultural and historical context with that of francophone countries and choose suitable strategies for contacting representatives of these cultures (socio-cultural competency);
• interpret the main literary styles and genres of French and francophone literature in the wider framework with a historical and cultural context, and use correct literary theory terminology (literary sciences competency);
• apply both theoretical and practical skills in the educational environment by using the basic methods gained from the French Language Didactic module (didactic competency);
• further develop the above mentioned competencies in specialised disciplines within MSc degree studies.
• to apply those competences together with the key competences of a 21st century citizen in activities related to the education process.
• cooperate with various teachers at school and under their leadership to plan, implement and reflect on the sequence of teaching and activities in relation to the appropriate school curriculum
• describe and analyse an educational situation using specialised terminology and rules of effective pedagogical communication and to propose a change; use their knowledge and skills in communication with pupils, parents and teachers in the school co
• use self-reflective skills to reflect on their actions: for example, to better justify and evaluate their arguments, to give voice to their emotions and their connection to some behaviour or to critically review their own attitudes towards educatio
• use basic methods and tools of pedagogical diagnostics in teaching to support differentiation and individualization in teaching, thus gaining data which is available for the support of an individual pupil/client. The results can be communicated app
• formulate own concepts of education that they would like to apply in their future profession, this concept underlies the arguments of theory and practice
• explain the basic principles of inclusive and special education; to reflect on their attitude towards diversity and its influence on their own teaching
• explain the basic concepts of developmental and social psychology and identify potential development difficulties or difficulties in social competences or pupil adaptation at school based on the knowledge of the dynamics of developmental and social

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.

• Teacher´s assistant

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.

The final work of the student demonstrates the ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study in working on a specific professional-pedagogical problem. The type of final thesis corresponds to the content and level of the given degree of study. The student chooses from the following types of works: a) theoretical-applied, b) theoretical-empirical (research), c) theoretical. The types of work and recommendations for their implementation are further guided by the APA manual. The length of the final thesis ranges from 81,000 to 130,000 characters, including gaps, i.e. 45-60 standard pages.

The standards for the implementation of the final theses at different departments are in accordance with the Dean's Instructions No. 1/2015 on implementation of the final work (Bachelor's, Master’s, post-graduate non-PhD and final works for Life-long Education) in the current version of effect.

The thesis follows the following goals based on the profile of the graduate of the Faculty of Education of MU.

Students:

- demonstrate an awareness of the current issues of their field of study, they can clearly and comprehensibly define the topic of the final thesis and its objectives, describe the initial state of knowledge and propose appropriate methods of achieving their stated goals;

- work with appropriate primary and secondary sources of information, cite them according to a valid standard (APA) and in accordance with the ethics of academic work;

- through the creation of their own text they demonstrate stylistic competence, and the ability to create an academic text;

- demonstrate the ability to ask questions and solve problems, to formulate new ideas and conclusions that bring at least some new knowledge about the phenomenon being studied, or enrich the methodological (in the area of research) or methodical (in the area of education) procedures in relation to clearly defined target groups (pupils at primary and secondary school, groups with specific educational needs, etc.)

Students can decide whether to write their theses at the Department of French Language and Literature (usually in French), or at departments providing a common teaching (in Czech). The field work can be written with a focus on linguistics, literature, cultural studies or field didactics. The works linking sub-disciplines with the didactics, which accentuate the application outcome, are welcome.

Students in the final theses demonstrate that they have an academic written language, are able to work independently, critically read reference literature, classify and link information, logically argue, place the subject of work in the wider context of the field, and correctly use the chosen citation standard. Their work consists of theoretical, research and practical part. Appropriate methodology for the research part is e. g. questionnaire, observation, testing, analysis of teaching material, case study, literary, linguistic or general cultural analysis. In the practical part the students apply their knowledge in methodological documents with description of didactic-methodical procedures. The Bachelor's thesis is defended during State final examinations in front of the appointed committee in the presence of the supervisor and the opponent.

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.