Course Overview
This Language, Methodology and Culture course is an intensive professional training course for primary and secondary school teachers who want to participate in a variety of innovative teaching methodology workshops to refresh their teaching practice, while also upgrading their language skills and gaining a better understanding of contemporary Irish life and culture.
Who is it for?
This course is for primary and secondary school teachers who want to upgrade their language skills while gaining a better understanding of Irish life and culture. Participants must have at least an upper-intermediate (B2) level of English.
Format
This LMC Erasmus+ course can be organised as either a one-week or two-week course consisting of 20 classroom contact hours per week, plus an extensive cultural and social programme which is directly linked to the classroom sessions.
2023/2024 Dates
| Autumn & Winter 2023 | Spring 2024 | Summer 2024 | Autumn & Winter 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16th October – 21st October | 11th March – 23rd March | 1st July – 13th July | 21st October – 2nd November |
| 18th December – 22nd December | 25th March – 6th April | 15th July – 27th July | 9th December – 20th December |
| 29th July – 10th August | |||
| 12th August – 24th August | |||
| 26th August – 7th September |
Group Bookings (minimum 7 people): Available upon request every week. Please send us your details using this form.
Course Aims
By attending this Language, Methodology and Culture course you will:
Methodology
Theories, ideas and activities are presented and demonstrated through lessons with content that is suitable to the course participants’ level and interests.
Participants are expected to actively participate in the workshops, and applied exercises and tasks, to reflect on their own beliefs and practice, and share thoughts, ideas and expertise in pair work, small groups and with the class as a whole. Critical thinking and active peer and self-evaluation are essential for the course.
During the course participants will also take part in a range of afternoon activities where they will be encouraged to develop their language skills in a more informal environment outside the classroom and further enhance their knowledge of contemporary Ireland and the vibrant city of Dublin.
Course Themes and Sample Timetable
The Language, Methodology and Culture course has two main components:
For group bookings, to ensure your course meets your development objectives, the schedule of sessions on every course is drawn up and agreed with each group of participants and Erasmus Plus coordinators on the basis of pre-course training needs analysis questionnaires.
| Week One (Sample) | Session One 9am to 10.40am | Session Two 11:10am to 12.50pm | Afternoon Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Course Orientation. Expanding Vocabulary: Ideas for Teaching and Learning Collocation / Irish Expressions | Dublin’s Parks, Squares and Public Spaces | Orientation tour of the city |
| Tuesday | Alternative Approaches to Lesson Design: Task-Based Language Teaching and Dogme | Ireland – Brexit, The Border and a Border Poll | Visit to Trinity College Dublin and The Book of Kells |
| Wednesday | Teaching Pronunciation: Models and Goals | Literature and Poetry in the Classroom – Yeats, Easter 1916 / Patrick Kavanagh, Canal Bank | Walk and Talk Tour – Local History |
| Thursday | Storytelling in the Classroom / Oscar Wilde | Changing Ireland: Women in Irish Society | Visit to MoLi – Museum of Literature Ireland |
| Friday | Experimenting with Artificial Intelligence – AI for Educators | Reflection on learning. Developing your Personal Learning Network (PLN) Looking ahead. End of course Irish Coffee. | Free afternoon (Option: join our Film and Fluency Club) |
| Saturday | Full day excursion to Howth |
Follow Up
Participants on the course are encouraged to keep in contact, sharing materials and experiences when back in their own classrooms. Follow-up contact is made with the participants three months after completion of the course to gather feedback on the effectiveness of the classroom activities presented and on how your teaching practice has been developed. The course trainers are available for follow-up advice and support at all times.
Price List
1 - week training course
- Programme includes materials, excursions and activities.
- Additional Fee: Homestay Accommodation: €265 for one week of host family accommodation (single room, half-board) + €65 placement fee
2 - week training course
- Programme includes materials, excursions and activities.
- Additional Fee: Homestay Accommodation: €530 for two weeks of host family accommodation (single room, half-board) + €65 placement fee