Introduction

The course in Modern Languages introduces Associate Teachers to the theory and practice of modern language teaching over the 11-16 age range in secondary schools and you will have opportunities to enhance your experience with some post-16 teaching. All MFL trainees specialise in at least one of French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian or Japanese.  Most of our trainees have another of these languages at a similar or lower level to their first foreign language.  Whilst this is very advantageous for your course and your career, it is not essential. For those who wish to improve their skills in a second foreign language there is an opportunity for funded participation in a nationally approved extension course.

• to help you become an efficient, effective, competent and professionally aware teacher of MFL;
• to help you acquire practical classroom skills, using a range of media including ICT;
• to help you understand pupils' achievements and difficulties and to respond sympathetically to their individual needs;
• to help you in the selection, production and use of a wide variety of language teaching materials;
• to help you develop a successful teaching style capitalising on your own personal qualities and talents;
• to maintain and extend your competence in the language(s) you teach.

As a participant in a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) course, all of your training will take place within a school environment where you will be able to benefit from the experience of practising teachers. Several of our mentors are past trainees of KMT and therefore have a very good understanding of the requirements of the course. Working within a school, you may be able to book language improvement and enhancement classes with the foreign language assistants who are based there.
You will also receive:

• regular diagnostic language tests to enable you to identify your areas of linguistic weakness. On the basis of these we will help you to draw up action plans so you can plan and track your programme of language improvement
• opportunities in at least one of your placement schools to teach your languages to advanced level, either A level or International Baccalaureate
• full access to the library, ICT and reprographic resources of both your school and the KMT centre
• opportunities to participate in and help organise school trips and extra-curricular activities including, if you wish, visits overseas

• Normally, a 2.2 degree, or higher, with at least 50% of the degree content related to your main foreign language (one of French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese or Russian) OR a native speaker of the language, with a degree, preferably in a language.  Oral and written communication in your main foreign language will be assessed at interview.
• Ideally a substantial period of time spent as a resident in a country where your main target language is spoken
• A second foreign language (probably at a lower level) where possible (French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese).  This is not essential.

Course outline

The Subject Studies programme at Kent and Medway Training is designed to develop your confidence to teach your language(s) at secondary school level. The MFL programme presents a thorough and structured series of seminars, each one concentrating on a different aspect of the delivery of Modern Languages in the classroom. Building on your existing knowledge as established by the initial subject audit, the sessions develop your teaching competence rapidly and provide you with the skills to become an effective classroom teacher from the beginning of your first teaching placement. For this reason the programme is "front-loaded", with the majority of sessions taking place in the first term and the number reducing as your confidence builds.
 
Each seminar combines an introduction to theory with more practical activities to enable new skills to be practised. It is expected that you will undertake some prior reading and practical school-based activities beforehand and these then become the basis for initial discussions. You are encouraged to begin your programme of general reading before the course begins. For this purpose you will be provided with a short reading list in July. The more specific reading required for subject studies begins as soon as you are provided with the Subject Handbook in the Induction Week. All texts are held in the Kent and Medway Library at Leigh Academy.
 

The programme fully dovetails with other aspects of the course. In particular, school-based mentors will discuss with you the issues of forthcoming subject studies sessions and will help you to complete successfully subject-based assignments. In addition, aspects of professional studies will be discussed in subject studies sessions, as will the requirements of forthcoming assignments.
 
One of the key strengths of the KMT programme is that it draws upon the experience of practising teachers. Accordingly all subject sessions are led by successful language teachers from consortium schools (several of whom are officially recognised Advanced Skills Teachers) and are generally held in the schools of the teachers concerned.