Master's Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (UDIMA Specific Degree) (Permanent Education)

The UDIMA Specific Degree, Master's Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language is part of the UDIMA's Life-Long Training programme and is managed on the virtual teaching platform Liceus. It is organised by the Department of the UDIMA's Language Institute and directed by Aurora Centellas and Elizabeth Miras. The aim of this qualification is to train teachers of Spanish as a foreign language and to give the most appropriate response possible to the needs of their students. The specific degree, Master's Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language Online, aims to equip teachers so that they can develop in determined educational contexts or develop specific elements of knowledge and use of the Spanish language that may require greater attention or depth.

Description

The different subjects on the master's degree are geared towards widening the teacher's skills, paying attention to the following educational areas: approaches to teaching and learning languages, planning and evaluating the teaching and learning process, teaching/learning contexts, teaching techniques and skills, resources for teaching and classroom dynamics, communicative skills and activities, professional development, etc. The multidimensional design of the skills of teaching and its development will not only contribute to improving the quality and enriching the training, but rather it will allow teachers to better identify their needs and plan their professional development with more criteria.

General Objectives

• To know the different methodological approaches for the teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE).
• To go over the different perspectives and approaches regarding teaching a foreign language.
• To offer a deep vision about the teaching-learning process of a foreign language.
• To critically analyse the classroom experience.
• To equip each student with the fundamental educational tools and to familiarise them with the diverse educational classroom techniques and resources.
• To provide the practical educational criteria to plan classes.
• To develop techniques and skills for teaching action in the classroom, with different groups and resources.
• To observe teaching, experience it and reflect upon the skills of the Spanish teacher and how to build on those.
• To update knowledge about the Spanish language on its different levels of analysis.
• To familiarise students with the use of evaluation materials and instruments.
• To provide evaluation tools for the teaching-learning process.
• To analyse the characteristics of Spanish with specific aims.
• To use integrated ICT techniques in a reflexive way in an educational environment with regard second languages (L2).
• To encourage the professional development and research of the ELE teacher.

Specific or Skill-Based Objectives

• To apply the knowledge in the specific area of Applied Linguistics to teaching Spanish to non-native speakers.
• To critically analyse their experience in the classroom, in line with new learning models.
• To improve the level and efficiency of teaching, integrating the knowledge gained.
• To familiarise participants with the concepts and theories that ELE teaching is based on.
• Familiarisation with evaluation models of current linguistic skills and the capacity to evaluate ELE learning processes.
• To plan and evaluate the short and long term teaching-process, being coherent in a context of teaching, a curriculum and a methodological approach.
• To observe and evaluate teaching action and to reflect on their own training process.

Methodology

The methodology used is that of distance learning, in a virtual environment, via the UDIMA's platform. This involves a continuous evaluation system that helps our students to "learn by doing". The active methodology that is offered is based on the carrying out of different types of didactic activities and the use of digital tools in this learning environment. Throughout the course the student will have to carry out: Learning activities: evaluation tests based on the collective generation of knowledge. Self-evaluation tests: interactive, online evaluation tests. Continuous Evaluation Activities (AEC as per Spanish): simulations and case studies, information searching work, creating and presenting reports. All of this is established in a teaching guide, which the student will be able to consult and download from the online platform at any point.
The teaching-learning process is developed through the university's Virtual Classrooms. Our students can directly contact their teachers by means of the forums and by email. We aim for the personalised attention to be a criterion for quality in distance learning, offering training that suits the training needs and expectations of the students.

Training Programme

• Module 1. Foundations of Teaching and Learning Foreign Languages.
• Cognitive processes when acquiring second and foreign languages.
• Foundations of linguistics applied to teaching Spanish.
• Approaches and methods of teaching Spanish.
• Module 2. Didactics of teaching and learning Spanish as a foreign language.
• Didactics of grammar.
• Lexical approach. Teaching vocabulary in the ELE classroom.
• Communication strategies.
• Module 3. Communicative Competencies and Linguistic Skills.
• Linguistic competencies.
• Sociolinguistic competencies.
• Pragmatic competencies.
• Skills and evaluation.
• Module 5. Handling and Managing the Classroom
• Teaching techniques.
• Class psychology.
• Module 6. New Technology Applied to Foreign Language Teaching.
• Learning foreign languages and new communication technology.
• Digital tools to bring to the classroom.
• Module 7. Teaching Spanish for Specific Purposes.
• The teaching/learning of specialised languages with specific methodology.
• The curriculum of the specialised language.
• Chamber of Commerce tests, Spanish for tourism certificates, etc.
• Teaching business, tourism, legal Spanish, CCSS, etc.
• Module 8. Analysis and Creation of Materials for the ELE Class
• Design and creation of activities to take to the classroom.
• Analysis of manuals and didactic material.
• Module 9. Research Memory.
• Teaching research techniques in order to create the memory.

Student Profile:

• Spanish or foreign languages teachers that wish to gain and develop knowledge of teaching Spanish as a foreign language.
• Graduates in Spanish Philology, Humanities, Translation and Interpretation or Education Sciences that wish to direct their training towards the teaching of Spanish.

Certificates

Students that pass the Master's Degree in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language will receive a qualification that is specific to the UDIMA.

Enrolment

http://aprende.liceus.com/

Duration: 9 months
Workload: 60 ECTS credits
Price: 3,000 euros (check breakdown of payments)
Start: 16 October 2017
End: 19 July 2018
Requirements: None
Qualification gained: Specific Degree from the Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA)
Grant: 250 euros (established by the programme leaders) + info

Enrolment Process

1. Fill out the application form.
2. Send documentation to Liceus (Photocopy of NIF [Spanish ID] or passport).