Upper Secondary School Teacher Education in English Language and Literature

Upon completion of this study programme you will be qualified to teach English as a foreign language in the range types of Czech secondary schools. You will be well versed in the theory and practice of teaching English to young adults and adolescents. Specifically, you will learn how to plan and deliver English lessons in accordance with curriculum and syllabus requirements, assess pupils, evaluate your own teaching, reflect on it and develop further.

You will become familiar with relevant research and be able to critically evaluate studies from current peer-reviewed publications. In addition, you will learn to design, implement and evaluate classroom research in the single-subject and major curriculum.

The added value of the programme is that:

• The programme is relatively small, which allows for intensive personal contact with faculty;
• Teaching focuses on the specifics of teaching English in secondary schools, such as working with materials for higher language levels, discussing (inter)cultural and literary topics, teaching vocational English, examining formats relevant to the Czech school system, and the specifics of working with adolescents and young adults.
• Teaching practice is carried out within the framework of continuous and coherent praxis. During the continuous practice you will progressively observe, lead, and analyse English language teaching under the supervision of experienced teachers. During the placement you will work with mentors and teachers and take part in daily activities in your assigned school.
• You will gain research skills. You will have many opportunities to learn about research in English language teaching and to engage in research activities. For example, you will discuss research findings in seminars, participate in specialised research seminars, analyse data and conduct empirical research leading to your dissertation. As part of the practicum, you will also conduct research on your classroom practice.
• You have the opportunity to spend a semester abroad at one of our many partner universities. Faculty members’ expertise covers a range of topics in language acquisition, learning, teaching, linguistics, and literature and culture, allowing you a range of perspectives and opportunities for your own research.

 Is this the programme for me?

 If your answers to the following questions is ‘yes’, this is the right programme for you:

• Are you passionate about English language, culture and literature?
• Are you excited about sharing this passion with young adults and teenagers in teaching?
• Do

While a Bachelors in English is an advantage for the Masters, applications are welcome from graduates with a bachelor’s degree in any area of study with the prerequisite that English language proficiency is at minimum C1+.

 

Combined form of study

Classes in the combined study take place every Friday.

“Language Unlocks Minds: Learn, Teach, Grow”

Practical training

The internship is an integral part of this teacher education program. Students undertake three semesters of teaching observation and practice.

You will be guided to prepare, evaluate and reflect on your English teaching and lesson delivery, and also to become familiar with the day-to-day activities of a secondary school teacher. The teaching practice is complemented by a series of tasks in which you will learn to relate knowledge of English didactics to the realities of English language teaching through a variety of methods (e.g. observation of teaching, collection and analysis of student language, analysis of video recordings of your own teaching). You will discuss your experiences in reflective seminars.

Further information

More details about the programme: https://english.phil.muni.cz/ELT

Social networks:

https://www.instagram.com/elt.muni/

As a graduate of this

Master's programme, you will be fully qualified to teach English as a foreign

language in Czech secondary schools. You can also teach in language schools.

Graduates are also prepared to work in adult English language teaching, on educational

projects, in educational policy and educational NGOs, as well as in a wide

range of public institutions. You will also be prepared to go on to a PhD in

applied linguistics or foreign language pedagogy.

Deadline for submitting applications: January 1 - April 30

Who the programme is intended for: The programme is offered to graduates of Bachelor’s studies who prove their knowledge of English language and literature corresponding to the level of Bachelor’s studies of English at FA MU.

Subject matter of the entrance examination: The entrance examination consists of two parts:

• 1st part - written test in practical English
• 2nd part - oral interview verifying relevant subject knowledge based on recommended literature and exploring candidate motivation for choosing study programme.

The written test of practical English verifies the level of the students’ language competence (roughly C2 according to CEFR). To proceed to the second part of the entrance exam, it is necessary to obtain at least a score of 70% on written test - only these applicants will be invited to the interview.

The interview is based on knowledge linguistic, cultural and pedagogical issues related to English (see recommended literature) and verifies that the applicant understands some basic concepts and has the necessary relevant subject knowledge, skills and motivation.

Only applicants who pass the written examination will be invited to take the interview in the Upper Secondary School Teacher Training in English Language and Literature.

Waiver of the entrance examination: The written part of the entrance examination can be waived for graduates of the single-subject and major study plan of the Bachelor’s study programme in English Language and Literature, who have passed the Bachelor’s examination in the field/programme of English Language and Literature at the Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University with an excellent (A) or very good (B) (i.e. the overall result of the written part, which covers: practical language, linguistics, literature, and cultural studies). The applicants will need to take part in the interview irrespective of their Bachelor's examination result. Applicants can ask for a waiver for the written part of the entrance examination via the e-application form, section "Application for waiver of the entrance examination".

Website Department of English and American Studies.

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.

Criteria for evaluation

The first part of the exam tests the students' level of language competence (approximately C2 according to the CEFR). In order to pass this part of the exam, you need to score at least 70%.

The second part is based on the literature provided and verifies that the candidate understands some basic concepts and has relevant subject knowledge and skills in the field of linguistics, literature and culture. To pass the entrance examination, a minimum score of 70% is required in this section.

Recommended literature

Recommended list of books:

• Biber, D., Conrad, S. & Leech, G. (2002).Longman student grammar of spoken and written English. Harlow: Longman.
• Mair, C. (2015). English linguistics: An introduction. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto.
• Scrivener, J. (2011). Learning Teaching. The Essential Guide to English Language Teaching. 3rd ed. Oxford: Macmillan.

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Minimum score and numbers of accepted applicants in past years

Graduates can go on

to doctoral studies such as English Linguistics with specialization in

Experimental and Applied Linguistics (FF MU) or Didactics of Foreign Languages

(FF MU).