During the programme
You learn what being a teacher and teaching English is all about, with practice teaching in secondary education from year one.
Our Teacher Education in English covers five disciplines:
- The English language: Literature, grammar, linguistics and the English-speaking world
- Methodology: acquiring a second language
- Research: practice-based research at a school
- Profession: pedagogics, child development, development psychology
- Internship/work placement
All of our students spend some time abroad to improve their language skills. As a part-time student, this might mean you get to do this during your summer break.
Content of the Teacher Education in English programme
Your first year is focused on the teaching profession, and it includes two projects on themes relating to the English language and culture as part of your preparation for a study trip to Britain.
In this course you identify, explain and form opinions on historical and current phenomena in the United Kingdom and apply this knowledge to field research.
By reading short stories you learn about the elements of fiction and how to analyse a story.
In this course you learn about English grammar and how to integrate grammar in your own lessons.
This is the first module in the Methodological Practice Programme for the Modern Foreign Languages (MFL): German, English, French, Spanish. Communication lies at the heart of Language Teaching and Learning, because as a Foreign Language teacher you help your learners communicate in the target language; reading, listening, writing, speaking. In this module you learn how to design and teach a communicative lesson.
How do you ensure that the lesson fits with your learners’ world? How do you engage your learners? How do you ensure that your lesson activities are pitched at the right level? How do you stimulate your learners’ awareness of cultural customs of the English, French, German, Spanish speaking world? What motivating digital learning tools do you apply?
In this module, you will get familiar with different types of schools and forms of education. You will explore whether being a teacher suits you by means of an internship or (practical) assignments. You will be part of a learning team where you collaborate with fellow students under the supervision of a learning team coach.
This is the first module in the Pedagogical Practice Programme. While teaching at your internship you will be dealing with adolescents on a daily basis. Good interaction with your learners is the basis for teaching. In order to be able to make contact, it is important that you understand how adolescents develop, what role education plays in this development, what interests adolescents, what motivates them and how they behave in groups.
Making contact often starts when the pupils enter the room where you are teaching. How do you introduce yourself, how do you fulfil your role as host and pedagogue, how do you make small talk with pupils and how do you put insecure pupils at ease?
In this course you learn more about phonetics which will improve your and your students’ pronunciation.
You will work on your speaking and conversational skills and pronunciation via different drama techniques. When you have completed this course, you have reached level C1 of the CEFR.
In this course you learn how to write a structured essay, how to cite sources and how to give constructive feedback on writing exercises.
During the main phase of the programme you will study literature (including youth literature), teaching methodology, British and American culture, dialectology, linguistics, second language acquisition and language proficiency.
You will spend ten weeks doing a work placement abroad to develop your English language proficiency.
During the third year of the Teacher Education in English programme, you continue to deepen your knowledge, and undertake further internships. You are now able to design a lesson plan and teach a class on your own, getting feedback from your school supervisor.
During the final phase, you teach (almost) completely independently. Half of your time is devoted to your work placement at a school, having regular teaching duties three days a week, combined with working on a research project for the school. The other half consists of optional subjects, study-work supervision, weekly meetings reflecting on classroom sessions and your experiences at the internship school, as well as preparing for your final assessment.
Want to know more about this programme?
Unique to this course is that talented and ambitious students can opt for a five-year course that leads to a double Bachelor’s degree: one in German and one in English. You will have an additional workload of around eight to ten hours a week.
At the end of your first year, you will receive study advice. For example whether the programme is suitable for you or not, or that you may need to draw up a study plan with the study career counsellor. This advice is not binding. Of course, we assume that you will weigh the advice carefully and take it into account in your choice of study.
- Teaching hours per week: 3-4
- Contact hours per week: avg 16 (year 1) and 12 (year 2 onwards)
- Hours of self-study per week: 24 hours in year 1; 28 hours from year 2 onwards
The programme fully focuses on professional practice supported by theoretical knowledge of e.g. behavioural development, learning styles and developmental theories. You will learn both in theory and in practice, and both offline and online.
Courses conclude with exams, tests, assignments, essays or portfolios. Exams may also be broken down into partial exams (or partial tests). Exams are held at the end of each term and are posted on the examination timetable.
During the programme you work in learning teams: small groups of students who learn and study together: a fun way to get to know people and build language skills too! A team has more or less twelve students, guided by a coach and lecturers.
As our Teacher Education in English (Part-time) programme trains you to become a teacher, work placements at Dutch schools and teaching practice are a key part of the programme from day one.
Why study Teacher in English at HU?
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Double Degree English-German Teacher
Graduating with two degrees makes you stand out in the job market, and it makes you more flexible as a teaching professional.
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English in an international environment
You will be surrounded by English, in an international crowd, making you comfortable with the language very quickly.
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Modern campus
The Utrecht Science Park is a university campus located close to the city of Utrecht, with all facilities close together.
"The HUbl course site supplies all the materials and is a fantastic learning tool"
Kevin Grogan (Age 40) First year student
"The HUbl course site supplies all the materials and is a fantastic learning tool"
Kevin Grogan (Age 40)First year student
My first year studying Teacher Education at the HU has been an amazing experience. The content, lectures and support I have received from mentors has been invaluable and the programme thoroughly prepares you for a career in the Dutch education system. There has been opportunities to work on individual assignments as well as group assignments; getting the most from your learning experience and the HUbl course site is a fantastic learning tool supplying all the materials, exercises and course information you need. I've made some amazing friends too!
