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Share your passion for languages and help young people achieve their potential. Become a confident and innovative MfL teacher. Be part of the new generation of language teachers.
This PGCE MfL course qualifies you to teach modern foreign languages at secondary level in any state-maintained, denominational school in England.
Being a languages teacher requires creativity to inspire students through finding ways to bring the language and its culture alive, and engaging and sharing your passion for languages with your students. You will be guided and made to challenge yourself to develop methods of creating your own class materials and developing your teaching approach.
In addition to the development of effective and engaging teaching styles, you will also be prepared to meet the requirements of language within the National Curriculum and GCSE/A Level specifications.
You'll be taught via lectures, workshops, seminars, tutorials, and Canvas (the Virtual Learning Environment), with support from your personal tutors and teaching group.
Placements are an important part of this PGCE MfL course. You'll engage in work-based training through bespoke teaching placements in North East schools with specialised subject mentors. In order to be eligible for the award of PGCE with QTS, you must spend a minimum of 120 days in school.
Your progress will be assessed through electronic assignment submissions, case studies, observations, presentations, and production and evaluation of learning resources.
Prior to starting the course, you're required to carry out a five-day pre-programme placement, assisting and observing in a primary school of your own choice, with a focus on your elected route. This ensures that all trainees have recent and relevant experience in school settings at the start of the course.
Researching the various types of teacher training qualifications can be a struggle, so what really is the difference between PGCE and QTS, and which is the most suitable for you? We’re giving you a breakdown of each of these qualifications to help you make an informed decision when choosing your teacher training course.
Read more about the differences between PGCE and QTS
Teaching placements are an integral part of your initial teacher training, and we offer placement opportunities across several of our undergraduate and postgraduate education courses so you can gain relevant work experience. Discover more about what to expect on your teaching placement including how to prepare, the skills and knowledge you’ll gain, and the support you’ll receive.
Learn what to expect on your teaching placement
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| a Canadian bachelor's degree | GPA 2.40 |
| a USA bachelor's degree | GPA 2.5 |
If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
You'll usually need to hold a 2:2 (or above) honours degree from a UK Higher Education institution or an equivalent qualification and be deemed suitable to train to teach by the School of Education at the University of Sunderland.
In addition to academic qualifications, you must also:
Your numeracy and literacy competency will be assessed continuously throughout the course, following the DfE’s removal of the Professional Skills Test.
If English isn't your first language, you'll also need International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 6.5, with at least 6.5 in writing, and no section below 6.0.
Although not compulsory to be accepted onto the course, time working or volunteering in school would be advantageous.
All successful applicants will be invited to an interview. Interviews start early November, so we recommend that you apply as soon as UCAS opens in October.
Please note, applicants with a foundation degree will need to supplement this qualification with at least 60 credits at level 6 (HE level 3) in order to attain an equivalent single qualification.
This course is subject to revalidation to meet the requirements for Initial Teacher Training from 2024.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
This degree awards Qualified Teacher Status, which means that when you graduate you’ll be qualified to teach in any state-maintained secondary school in England. Most graduates from this course go on to become a secondary school teacher.
Good teachers area always in high demand. All qualified teachers will have a starting salary of at least £30,000, and this will be higher for teachers working in London. The amount you earn will then increase until you reach the top end of your pay scale, after which you can choose to progress into more senior roles, such as leading practitioner or head teacher.
The teachers’ pension scheme is also one of the most generous public sector pension schemes in the UK, one of the few guaranteed by the Government.
The University of Sunderland has partnerships with over 650 schools, colleges and beyond. The course is designed to enable you to spend 120 days in a school or other educational institution. We’ll work with you to try and find you the perfect teaching placement – schools that can nurture and support your aspirations and interests and help you become the best secondary school teacher you can be.
Individual Learning Plans are an integral part of the course and are used to track your academic and professional journey. They track progress with academic study, detailing how you aim to address any areas of development highlighted within assessment feedback from academics. You will use this document to track your progress against the Teachers’ Standards. The Individual Learning Plan will be discussed regularly with your Personal Tutors and will be used to assess your progress and set relevant targets to further your development. These documents form part of the assessment process for teaching practice.