Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in Spanish Language and Literature

Deadline for submitting applications: January 1 - April 30

Who the programme is intended for: The programme is intended for all graduates of Bachelor’s studies, knowledge of the language at the C1 level according to CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) is expected.

Subject matter of the entrance examination: oral examination. Applicants shall submit a brief Master’s thesis project or their Bachelor’s thesis. Applicants shall upload the required documents for the admission procedure into their electronic applications (rubric “Documents”) by 1 June. Applicants are required to include their full name and application number on all attached documents.

Waiver of the entrance examination: The entrance examination can be waived for students who have completed the Spanish Language and Literature Bachelor’s degree field/programme at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University with the mark A-B. No more than a year (two semesters) may have passed since the final state examination. Applicants can ask for a waiver for the entrance examination via the e-application form, section "Application for waiver of the entrance examination".

Website Department of Romance Languages and Literatures.

General information on the course of the admission procedure to the follow-up Master’s degree programmes at FA MU can be found here. Documents for the current admission procedure are kept in Materials for Applicants.

Pass/fail line of the entrance examination: 50 points (out of 100).

The aim of the study of Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in Spanish Language and Literature is to prepare a qualified and competent teacher of the Spanish language and literature who is comprehensively educated for teaching at secondary schools where Spanish is taught as a foreign language. Input language competence is at the C1 level according to the CEFR; output language competence is at the C2 level. Graduates obtain knowledge, skills and competences in theoretical-philological courses as well as in courses of pedagogy and applied linguistics. They have excellent language competence and wide literary and cultural background in their field, being fully proficient in the four main skills of language learning.

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

• act as a Spanish teacher at secondary schools, language schools and other educational institutions where Spanish is taught as a foreign language.
• produce excellent written and oral expression in Spanish at the C2 level according to the CEFR and is able to explain adequatelly language phenomena in the context of necessities in class
• use comprehensive knowledge of the social, political, cultural, literary, and linguistic situations in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries
• act as mediator within intercultural communication, analysing and interpreting information on literature, history, culture and general facts of Spanish-speaking countries.
• have an overview of modern trends in the use of IT in teaching and to use them properly.
• competent orientation in the professional terminology of pedagogical and psychological disciplines, enabling them to identify, interpret and refer to basic pedagogical activities.
• plan effectively, prepare, implement and evaluate their own teaching in line with current curriculum documents.
• apply knowledge in line with the principles of inclusive education and can use basic diagnostic tools in its teaching practice.
• in lesson planning and teaching, to take into account flexibly the individual needs of each pupil depending on the determining factors (teaching style, maturity, personality traits, etc.)

Graduates find positions at secondary schools of various types and orientations as well as in special language schools where Spanish as a foreign language is taught. Having received a complex education, they can find employment in positions that requiere a broad social and cultural overview, ability of critical and analytical thinking and good proficiency in philological, pedagogical and psychological disciplines.

• Secondary school teacher

Practical teachers' training is an essential part of a the study program in order to prepare students for the profession of teacher of the Spanish language. The aim of the teachers' training is to enable students to apply their competencies in the real environment of educational institutions, allowing students to use their acquired theoretical knowledge from philological and pedagogical psychological training. The primary goal of the teachers' training is to give students the opportunity to develop important skills that are key to the pedagogical profession under the guidance of experienced teachers and other experts. An integral part of the practice is the evaluation and self-evaluation process. Due to the current trends in teaching, there is a strong emphasis on training in the field of modern technologies, especially e-learning.

A standard scope of a Master's thesis is about 120,000 characters including footnotes, list of literature, etc.; supplements do not count in the scope of characters. A Master's thesis has the character of an independent empirical research but it is not expected to change the level of knowledge in the area. Students should demonstrate the ability to work critically with specialized texts and sources and apply their acquired knowledge in their own research. Topic of Master's theses should be either didactically oriented or otherwise they should cultivate other methodologies used in foreign language teaching.

After completing the Master’s degree study program, it is possible to continue further studies in a doctoral degree study program in Romance languages, Romance literatures, or other appropriate doctoral studies.