If you would like to consult recent studies on EFL and bilingual education in which the department professors have participated, see this link.

Information on teaching innovation projects developed by UCM professors and students of EFL can be found HERE: Bilingual and EFL Innovation.

Develop your passion: use the potential of online learning opportunities! Becoming a teacher includes finding areas of your professional field that spark your interest and curiosity.  The Internet can offer a wealth of possibilities for learning and finding what may build your potential to make a special contribution to your (future) pupils’ wellbeing and success. 

Here are a few suggestions.  But as you browse the Internet you’ll soon realise, the sky’s the limit!

• USEFUL FOR STUDENTS OF TFG (UNDERGRADUATE DISSERTATION) here is a practical app for learning academic writing
• Dyslexia and Foreign Language Teaching would be a great starting point for understanding learning difficulties and acquiring skills to ensure these challenges are correctly approached by teachers of second languages: dyslexia, a condition that affects more than 10% of the population, is an important area of expertise for teachers.
• The UCM Primary Teaching English specialisation strand provides many chances to learn about children’s literature, stories, picture books and texts; and reading leads children to develop social, emotional and cognitive skills that are key to their educational progress.  In the course Exploring Books for Children: Words and Pictures you can add more to your knowledge of this valuable area of expertise that every primary school teacher should develop.
• Teachers’ work includes giving all kinds of support to their pupils so as to create an optimal learning environment.  Knowing how to speak to young children can be key in this area, and you can learn about it in the course  Listening to Young Children: Supporting Transition
• Another course related to the skill of constructive conversations with students is called What Children and Young People Say .  Listening to and learning from children is one of the greatest privileges that teachers enjoy, and can be the key to having a successful and enriching professional life as an educator.
• Does the socio-cultural perspective of learning catch your interest?  Language as a medium for teaching and learning is a key issue for language experts like the primary education language specialists. 
• How are children’s experiences changing due to the development of the new technologies?  Reflect on this with the course Childhood in the Digital Age.  It is an issue that is changing the way education works.
• Another hot trend in education is Enquiry Learning, or in other words, teaching and leading students in researching the topics they are learning about.  In the course Supporting Student-led Research you can find out more.
• Will you teach Science through English to primary students?  You may want to consider where to start with this course: Primary Science.  Supporting children’s learning.

At the Open University website you will find a page with a range of resources, in addition to the free courses, related to education and learning: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education/all-content

Language pedagogy journals

If you need to find reliable sources for reading about language pedagogy, we can offer you a few suggestions.  You may need these for your undergraduate dissertation (TFG) or for other essays or projects that you are assigned during your studies.

1) Our UCM teaching section (Language and Literature Pedagogy, English, French and Spanish) publishes the journal Didáctica. Lengua y Literatura.  Open access at the link Didáctica. Lengua y literatura

 

2) A highly respected journal on first and second language teaching and learning, Porta Linguarum.  Link:  Porta Linguarum

3) Studies in Applied English Linguistics, open access at: ELIA

4) Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Open access at: TESL EJ

 

Get ready for writing your undergraduate dissertation! In year 4 of the degree course you have to undertake a big project known in Spanish as the TFG.

The guidebook for the 18-19 academic year is at this link (the guide for 2019-20 has not been published yet): GUIDE TO THE TFG

On the other hand you will also write a Practicum report, the Memoria de Prácticum III, information on which is published at the following link: 19-20 Practicum Guidebook

Need some inspiration? Ideas for a topic to work on? Strategies for your teaching?

Try THE TEACHING CHANNEL

Is the materialistic, high-tech, instrumental ethos of the educational world getting you down? Have a look at these fantastic PHILOSOPHY FOR CHILDREN MATERIALS: WONDERPONDER

Have you ever felt like hearing a story told by a very nice voice? Are you interested in children's literature from the English-speaking world? Have a look at the blog WEREADITLIKETHIS