Graduate Programme in Teaching English to Young Learners

The Faculty of Education offers a unique graduate program in Teaching English to Young Learners. This program provides students with a comprehensive preparation for the profession of language and Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teacher. The program equips students with the necessary skills to teach natural sciences, mathematics, art, music, and physical education in an integrated manner through the use of English. Students also gain knowledge about bilingual education in Europe and around the world and are exposed to a variety of educational programs in different international contexts.

An important aspect of this program is its combination of theory and practice. Students have the opportunity to participate in continuous pedagogical internships in various public and private schools and preschools, where they become familiar with different approaches to early language teaching and CLIL. Additionally, students are given the opportunity to participate in international projects of both didactic and research nature led by the Faculty of Education.

All courses are conducted in English, and students have the opportunity to improve their English language skills, particularly in the area of academic and classroom language. The classes are taught by Polish and foreign lecturers and practitioners. The program is designed to provide students with a wide theoretical and practical preparation for teaching using CLIL, enabling them to work as English language teachers in preschools and early primary schools (grades 1-3) in diverse cultural and language teaching contexts, including bilingual preschools and primary schools.

The admission process for the program is rigorous, requiring a minimum of 50 points in the interview, which is conducted in English. The interview is designed to assess the candidate's motivation, commitment, and readiness to pursue the studies at the GPTE. The interviewers ask questions related to the candidate's experiences working with children, the qualities of effective teachers, current issues in education, and how the candidate would deal with difficulties likely to be encountered as a teacher.

The program provides graduates with theoretical and practical preparation in general education, second language acquisition, and English language teaching. They are equipped with university-level education in English, which prepares them for the pedagogical challenges through reflection and research in the field of language, bilingual and primary education, as well as the culture of English-speaking countries. Graduates are prepared to pursue doctoral schools and are ready to teach English language in preschool and early primary school levels using CLIL in diverse cultural and language teaching contexts.

In summary, the Graduate Program in Teaching English to Young Learners offered by the Faculty of Education provides students with a unique opportunity to become highly qualified English language teachers for young learners. The program combines theory and practice, equipping graduates with the necessary skills to teach using CLIL and enabling them to work in diverse educational contexts. With the rigorous admission process, graduates of the program are prepared to pursue doctoral schools and are highly competent to teach English to young learners.