Post Primary Teacher Education - Gaeilge & French or German or Spanish

Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.

For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.

For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions

Click Here

Click Here

Click Here

35

Click Here

Entry 2024

Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm

Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm

Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm

Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm

Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm

Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.

Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.

Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:

General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices

Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course

Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants

Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR

Why DCU?
- Specialised centre of excellence, with a rich history in teacher education – it’s what we do

- You will be taught by internationally recognised experts in language and teacher education

- Teaching placements take up 25% of the course - preparing you to teach in the 21st-century classroom

- You will complete an Erasmus placement studying in a country where your chosen modern foreign language is spoken

- You will be qualified to teach Gaeilge and French or German or Spanish to Honours Leaving Certificate level

About You
Are you interested in playing a key role in the language development of the next generation? You need to be creative and articulate, with a passion for languages - learning them, using them and passing on your skill to others.

Understanding: Post-Primary Teacher Education
The 4 year post-primary teacher education degree in Gaeilge and French, German or Spanish is a ‘concurrent’ teacher education course – meaning that academic study and professional teacher training are integrated in all 4 years. This is in contrast with the ‘consecutive model’ where you first complete an undergraduate degree and must then apply for entry to the Professional Masters in Education in order to qualify as a post-primary teacher.

This course will prepare you in the two languages Gaeilge with French, German or Spanish, while placing an emphasis on teamwork, leadership, communication and creativity – skills that will inspire you to work as a post-primary teacher and also a variety of other professions.

Course Structure
A major attraction of this 4 year course is that you will study in small class groups within the larger University context. Throughout the course you will cover the following integrated areas:

Foundational and Professional Studies in Education
We offer a student-friendly, supportive, open, dynamic and practical approach to the study of education. Given its diverse nature, the study of education and languages is exciting, engaging, and challenging – as reflected in the variety of modules on offer over the course of your 4 years.

Teaching including School Placements
One of the most exciting and rewarding elements of the course is our hands-on approach to the professional placement periods of the course, during which time students hone their teaching, learning, assessment and critical reflection skills. During these periods, students spend time in microteaching settings, online synchronous teaching settings and in different post-primary schools. The professional placement periods are designed in such a way so as to incrementally support students in the ongoing development of their professional identity and teaching skills. Over the 4 years of the course, students have an opportunity to gain valuable and extensive experience across a range of teaching and learning activities, including observation of practice, peer teaching, team teaching and online pedagogies. Students are supported throughout their initial teacher education by experienced placement tutors and school-based post-primary teachers, known as “Treoraithe”. Professional placement also enables student teachers to learn about and become part of the wider school community and students are actively encouraged to engage in activities, initiatives and work outside the classroom. There is a specific focus on this aspect of school life during the Context and Engagement periods, which Year 2, Year 3, and Year 4 students must complete when post-primary schools reopen in August and before the beginning of semester 1 lectures each year.

Languages
There is a shortage of language teachers in the post-primary sector at present and graduates of this course will be highly sought after. The course will enable you to reach a high standard of competence in Gaeilge and your chosen language so that you will be a confident and effective language teacher. You will have the opportunity to undertake an internship in the Gaeltacht and the second half of Year 3 will be spent in a country where French, German or Spanish is spoken. As well as learning the languages to a high level, you will study a wide range of literature and become familiar with the vital characteristics and contexts of drama, poetry, film and fiction. You will study modules in applied linguistics, i.e. how to teach languages and how languages are learned. There will be modules on how to assess language learners and how to teach students with different learning needs.

What Will I Study?
Year 1 Education Theories 1 | Introduction to the Study of Language | Cúrsa Teanga 1 | Filíocht na Gaeilge | Assessment, Learning and Teaching | History of Irish Education and Current Issues | Professional Preparation and Placement 1 | Introduction to Applied Linguistics

− French Language 3 or German Language 3 or Spanish Language 3
− French Society and Literature or German Society and Literature or Spanish Society and Literature

Year 2
Digital Media and Language Learning | Language Pedagogy (Irish, French/ German/Spanish) (taught through the medium of Irish) | Introduction to Inclusive Education | Cúrsa Teanga 2 | Drámaíocht agus Scannánaíocht | Assessing Language Learning | Professional Preparation and Placement 2 | Online Pedagogies

− French Language and Culture 2 or German Language and Culture 2 or Spanish Language and Culture 2
− French Literature and Visual Studies or German Literature and Visual Studies or Spanish Literature and Visual Studies

Year 3
Curriculum, Policy and Assessment | Feasacht agus Fóineolaíocht na Gaeilge | An Ghaeilge Fheidhmeach | Prós na Gaeilge 1 | Professional Preparation and Placement 3

Memory and Identity; German Culture, Literature and Film, Latin America: Society, Literature and Culture
− French Language, Culture and Text or German Language, Culture and Text or Spanish Language, Culture and Text
− Foundation, Professional and Pedagogical Studies (FPP) modules delivered through the target language as part of a semester abroad in a country where French, German or Spanish is spoken

Year 4
Research Project | Education Theories 2 (Advanced) | Cúrsa Teanga 3 | Prós na Gaeilge 2 | Professional Preparation and Placement 4
− French for Teaching Purposes or German for Teaching Purposes or Spanish for Teaching Purposes

Additional Information
This course will enable you to register with the Teaching Council of Ireland. Upon graduation you can apply immediately for employment in post-primary schools as teachers of Gaeilge and your chosen language: French, German or Spanish.

Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 9161
E: ioe@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
Visit Us Online dcu.ie/DC013

Click Here