Teacher Training
Train to teach Modern Foreign Languages with a Secondary PGCE at the University of Exeter. Gain qualified teacher status and 60 Masters-level credits through expert-led training. You will be part of a cohort of trainees all learning to teach French or Spanish and working with a dedicated team of Modern Languages teaching experts. Our MFL teacher training is informed by the latest education research within the School of Education, giving you first-hand access to the latest research on classroom practice.
The DfE Apply code is R1X1 for French, or R4XC for Spanish. The University of Exeter's institution code is E84.
Alongside our general entry requirements for all Secondary PGCE applicants, there are subject-specific entry requirements for Modern Foreign Languages specialism applicants.
Typically, successful applicants have a 2:2 Honours degree or above in their chosen language (French or Spanish). Other qualifications of degree level equivalence will be considered, e.g. Final Diploma of Institute of Linguists. Native speakers should hold a qualification (in any subject area) equivalent to a UK degree at a minimum of a 2.2. For applicants needing to develop/refresh their first language knowledge to gain access onto a PGCE it is possible to take a first language Subject Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course. There are several options available which can be discussed at interview.
We encourage applications from those already with competence in a second language in French or Spanish as this will help with employability and we can support you during the course to develop your second language teaching.
Applicants with only one language (French or Spanish) are also encouraged to apply for a place on the course and you will be supported to become a teacher in this single language.
Please note, for all MFL trainees, whether you have the opportunity to develop your teaching in a second language during the course or not, your final award title will be a single language PGCE in your first language (either French or Spanish). Those who have developed their second language teaching during their PGCE year will additionally be able to articulate and demonstrate this to future employers, adding to their potential employability.
You will explore teaching methods that bring your chosen languages and culture to life within the four walls of the classroom. Using the most up-to-date research you will develop a solid grounding in the approaches to language learning which puts an emphasis on communication and language as structure as recommended in the National Curriculum.
You’ll also develop the fundamentals of teaching such as behaviour management, assessment, lesson planning, inclusive teaching, and working with the school community and parents. We’ll support you to become a reflective and confident teacher who is able to assess your own achievements and professional development requirements.
Our unique course structure based on the Exeter Model of Initial Teacher Education is praised by Ofsted and used across our subject areas. You will study a specialist Secondary Subject Knowledge, Pedagogy, Research, and Practice module alongside this. The principal aim of this module is to equip you with a comprehensive understanding of the background issues and practice of the current teaching of French or Spanish in secondary schools. In addition, the module seeks to nurture you as a reflective and autonomous professional practitioner, able to identify strengths and areas for development in your subject knowledge and pedagogy, through evaluating current professional practice in relationship to developments in research and curriculum theory.
