Common to the academic staff of these foreign languages, together with Maltese and English, is the recognition that language is a most important part of any culture. It allows us to communicate with one another, build relationships, and create a sense of community within and across cultures. Intercultural communication goes a long way towards building bridges and teaching languages to young people in Maltese schools is certainly a significant part of the process in a context which is becoming increasingly linguistically diverse.
Read what follows below to get a sense of becoming a teacher of one or more languages.
The Maltese single-subject specialisation programme, spread over four semesters within the MTL course, aims as exploring the multifaceted nature of teaching Maltese, both as a first and as an additional language, in middle and secondary schools.
Various principles and practices equip prospective teachers with the initial competencies required to teach Maltese in an ever-evolving teaching and learning environment.
A number of study units address the teaching of modern-day literacy. This is achieved by focusing on the important language and interactive skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing, as well as critical thinking. Attention is given to the teaching of grammar and literature. Other areas of interest addressed during the course are cultural awareness and intercultural competence, learner autonomy, children’s literature and research methodology relevant to language education.
Through structured classroom observations and two practicum sessions, student-teachers also get an opportunity to continuously link theory to practice.
We are looking very forward to meeting you and welcoming you on board.
The English language holds a special place in our country, affecting the lives of all in many ways in several aspects of life. To try and summarise here the social, cultural, and political factors related to English in Malta, would not begin to do justice to this complex reality. Becoming a teacher of English in a secondary school setting guarantees you a pivotal role in this scenario. Join the English track of the MTL course and under the guidance of a team of experienced teacher educators, you will be prepared to step into schools to teach English language and literature and share your passion for the language with hundreds of young people. There is copious research confirming that enjoyment, anxiety, motivation, and a sense of classroom community have a direct bearing on successful language learning. Your MTL course will provide you with the right opportunities to embrace these in ways relevant to your learners and to you. Come to us with an open mind, and we will build on your first degree to help you develop the knowledge and skills to start a rewarding career in teaching English in Malta.
Italian is a beautiful language which forms part of Malta’s heritage, identity and culture. A teaching career in Italian will lead you to engage with learners in whom you can instil a sense of love and passion for Italian, while accompanying them in an exciting journey to discover a new language. It will also enable you to engage with other teachers of foreign languages, locally and internationally, in a process through which you become more aware of how languages open doors and lead to meaningful experiences, both personally and professionally. Italian is also the foreign language with the highest number of learners in local schools and this leads to good employment prospects. Courses in Italian language and culture are offered to Maltese students by universities and educational institutions in Italy and these can lead to opportunities for further study.
As an international language, French boasts an extremely rich culture and is widely used on many high-level forums. It is important to know French in sectors like diplomacy, gastronomy, the wine industry, fashion, dance, banking and finance, the sciences, engineering and technology (medicine, space, transport: vehicle, train and airplane construction). The language offers memorable experiences through the reading of French and francophone authors who have built and are still building a legacy of impressive literature. France is home to many world-renowned art museums and landmark monuments, as well as beautiful natural scenery such as mountain ranges, lakes, caves, rivers and sea spots. In light of this, teaching French becomes ever more rewarding. The Master in Teaching and Learning in French full-time, two-year course trains prospective teachers in present-day methodological principles and practices of the teaching of French as a foreign language. It allows them to observe language classes and then to take responsibility of a number of classrooms for several weeks in two teaching practicums. Emphasis is laid on changing traditional methods ingrained in the local educational culture, with the promotion of learner-centred task- (and project-) based pedagogy, practice of the spoken component, and a learning outcomes / formative approach. The full-time MTL in French pedagogy is taken in conjunction with a subsidiary subject like Digital Literacy or Technology-Enhanced Learning. The MTL in French course entails a research component with the writing of a dissertation in which the student specialises on a (French) pedagogy-related aspect.
The Masters in Teaching and Learning (MTL) in Spanish integrates academic study and practice, equipping prospective professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to become teachers of Spanish as a foreign language. Accordingly, students following this programme of studies are given the opportunity to survey key theoretical principles underpinning second and foreign language teaching approaches and methods. These are critically analysed and put to work to help students devise and nurture a practice which prioritises language proficiency, i.e., the ability to use language meaningfully in authentic world situations. Prospective teachers of Spanish are furthermore also encouraged to carry out supervised research and innovative projects in a related area of their choice. These can both be accomplished during the course of the Field Placement Practicum and/or the Research Component. ¡Esperamos verte pronto en nuestro curso de formación para profesores de español!
A Masters in Teaching and Learning specialising in German pedagogy offers students the opportunity to learn and evaluate how to transform different German as a Foreign Language learning contexts into student-centred motivating learning situations.
The course offers an opportunity for prospective teachers of German to critically evaluate how to teach the four language skills (i.e. writing, speaking, reading and listening) effectively. Students have ample space and time to evaluate and eventually start using printed texts, authentic materials and other relevant technologies. These may serve as tools through which students learning German as a Foreign Language while learning the language are also encouraged to use the language in real daily contexts they encounter where German is used.
Through classroom observations and two teaching practice sessions, students also get the opportunity to continuously link theory to practice. We are looking very forward to meeting you. Bis bald!
