BA in TEFL with Foreign Language B

BA in TEFL with Foreign Language B

Overview of the study program

The teaching stream program at the School of Applied Linguistics prepares future graduates in the field of humanities to develop expertise in English language and linguistics, interdisciplinary studies in linguistics, as well as various areas of applied linguistics. Graduates hone their language skills in multiple European languages. The program produces graduates who fit well in today’s society and the labor market. The undergraduate program is designed to help students gain general and specific knowledge in the area of English language and linguistics. Graduates from this department work in public elementary and secondary schools, as well as private language academies. The interdisciplinary approach to language studying goes hand in hand with the modernization of school curricula and introduction of new courses in the education system in Macedonia. Students graduate with a deep and broad understanding of the nature of the second language and its operation. The program is based on current findings and covers fundamental issues in specific areas of linguistics.

In other words, the program is designed to strengthen and enhance the core language skills of the students with the primary focus on the English (and Foreign Language B) and the sociocultural contents that further develop communicative competences of the students giving them the opportunity to reach the proficient level in English and intermediate/upper-intermediate level in Foreign Language B according to the CEFR (the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

Including at least two global languages in their skill set, students can have the added benefit of improving their job prospects especially on the international job market, facilitate their career advancements and open a plethora of opportunities in their future.

The teaching approaches used aim to develop critical thinking among students and to stimulate creativity, as these are core 21st century skills. The program itself is designed to encompass compulsory courses which cover the essential issues and topics as imposed by the norms and regulations, as well as the market needs and perceived positive European practices. Furthermore, students are offered a plethora of elective courses too, which aim to hone more specific specialized skills in one or several areas and disciplines. The program is essentially an amended and improved version of prior curriculum experience.

Mission

The mission of the School of Applied Linguistics is to continuously develop into a teaching and research unit which will produce graduates with comprehensive and solid academic background in linguistics. It aims to systematically elevate and improve the quality of studies it offers, and to facilitate the faculty commitment towards designing innovative curricula, in order to attain the level of a respectable and competitive academic institution, both home and abroad.

The fast pace of today’s life creates versatile and ever-changing needs in all aspects of our lives, which is why the School of Applied Linguistics insists on anticipating future challenges and needs in order to properly respond to the new societal developments. Our mission, which justifies the need for our program, stems from the need to educate highly accomplished professionals who will actively contribute towards the improvement of all aspects of today’s society. Such professionals will be built not only through heavy theory. On the contrary, our graduates leave school with practical skills, ready to showcase their competencies in various segments in education and beyond. The curricula offered at the School of Applied Linguistics are in line with the global trends in education. The credit system in store enables student mobility at any university abroad with compatible curricula.

Program Aims

The aims of the teaching stream program are as follows:

  • Provide students with a strong foundation in linguistics and the English language, as well as the Foreign Language B.
  • Prepare students to support language learners and facilitate their learning.
  • Prepare students to work in various teaching and learning environments.
  • Equip students with state-of-the-art tools of language pedagogy.
  • Prepare educational leaders who contribute to the field and to society.

Program Objectives

By the end of the program, graduates will have developed the following skills and competencies:

  • A fundamental understanding of how we learn foreign languages, how the core aspects of language learning fit together and how this learning process can be facilitated effectively by a teacher
  • A foundation in language teaching practice that will enable graduates to foster in their learners the development of skills, the learning of grammar and lexis and the ability to communicate effectively in English.
  • Sufficient awareness of the structural, lexical, phonological and discursive features of English as a foreign language, and to be able to inform language learners about these features.
  • Acquire a solid knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and sociocultural contents that develop the communicative competences of the students giving them the opportunity to reach the independent user level in Foreign Language B thus expending the global mindset and boosting the value in the increasingly multilingual world.
  •  The critical and creative thinking skills to evaluate learners’ needs effectively, plan a program of study and the individual lessons within that program, and to formulate aims suitable for diverse and different teaching contexts.
  • The ability to deliver classroom lessons effectively.
  • Facilitate achievement of learning aims among learners effectively.
  • The ability to engage, interest and stimulate learners during lessons and to make them the center of the learning process itself.
  • The necessary skills to enable them to become reflective practitioners, able to self-evaluate, self-appraise and develop professionally as teachers.
  • The ability to find, adapt and create materials to use when teaching as well as the knowledge of different teaching resources and how these can be used effectively to facilitate learning.
  • A resource bank of practical teaching techniques, strategies and activity types that will assist them in their role as a teacher of English in the future.
  • The ability and skills to evaluate knowledge from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.
  • To conduct valid, reliable and authentic assessment of learners’ skills and competencies.
  • An awareness of their future role as teaching professionals operating as part of a team within a language learning institution.
  • A realistic understanding of their own future learning needs as newly-qualified teachers, how these can be met and how they can best pursue their continuing professional development autonomously.
  • The ability to actively seek employment as a qualified teacher of English, aware of both their own needs and competencies as a newly-qualified teacher and how to access employment opportunities through written and online media.

Career Potential Opportunities

Graduates from the teaching stream program are competent and highly trained teachers working in primary and secondary/high schools. Apart from that, there are potential opportunities for TEFL with Foreign Language B graduates worldwide in:

  • commercial language academies/schools (from sole proprietorships to publicly-listed chain schools)
  • international schools
  • kindergartens
  • universities
  • government-sponsored programs (e.g. Peace Corps, British Council)
  • corporate in-house training departments
  • freelance/private teaching
  • voluntary work for charitable organizations

Teaching approaches

The program is delivered through a student-centered approach, including the following:

  • Classwork though lively discussions and exchanges between students and faculty
  • Group work: debates, discussions, communication and cooperation among students
  • Individual work: case studies, projects, presentations and research papers
  • Interactive and student-centered teaching approaches
  • Honing critical reading and thinking skills

Principles of evaluation

This is a highly interactive, student-centered program, and these features are heavily reflected in the evaluation and assessment practices. Therefore, class attendance is mandatory. However, from a tolerated leave threshold, the student is allowed 30% of the regular sessions before the system automatically withdraws (AW). Note that participation is graded as well. To earn a degree in TEFL with Foreign Language B, students must successfully complete a total of 134 credits. The standard duration of the study is 8 semesters. Per course, students are assessed in the following manner: 2 separate exams administered as a mid-term and a final exam, as well as various activities assessed during the course sessions (presentations, papers, projects, individual and/or group assignments etc.)

The mandatory internships are evaluated by the instructor/mentor at the place of internship.

A course is considered successfully completed when the calculated final score is above or equal to the required average as follows: 60% (D) taking into account the cumulative GPA.