PGCE Teacher Training

Who should apply?

The programme is designed for those wishing to become qualified teachers of Mandarin Chinese in schools and colleges (teaching pupils aged 11-19 years).

About our PGCE

The IOE PGCE course offers dedicated Mandarin-specific subject tuition for trainee teachers of languages.  Tuition draws on the best current Mandarin teaching practice in UK schools through an established national network, coordinated by the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) Confucius Institute for Schools.

Why a PGCE?

Teachers in England and Wales need Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – the official professional accreditation – in order to qualify for jobs in most schools. QTS requires rigorous classroom experience, training and formal study, traditionally at M level (postgraduate).

Currently the main training option in the UK is the postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE), which leads to QTS.

Format of the PGCE course

PGCE student teachers train full-time over a complete academic year (September – July: 36 weeks approx.). The course comprises:
•    university lectures
•    group tuition
•    workshops
•    directed reading
•    teaching tasks and activities
•    x2 10-week school placements
•    assessed written assignments

Topics covered in the PGCE course

The course focuses on different themes each week.
Themes include: approaches to languages teaching; contexts in languages teaching and learning; the national curriculum; learning strategies; monitoring learning; learning resources; planning for progression and learner independence; the role of culture; barriers to learning; assessment; curriculum innovation; film and the languages classroom.