Aims

The students should acquire the knowledge, the skills and know-how as well as the existential competence (the so-called "savoir-être") necessary to teach Dutch as a foreign language in secondary schools (the so-called "Enseignement de transition de la CFWB").

Main themes

1. The goals and objectives of the teaching of Dutch as a foreign language [in secondary schools in the French speaking Community of Belgium].
2. The description and illustration of approaches, aids and teaching/learning techniques in the field of Dutch as a foreign language.
3. The role of tasks in language learning and teaching (simple vs. complex, pedagogic vs. functional, formal vs. significative, verbal vs. non verbal aspects).
4. The conception and critical discussion of teaching/learning sequences (including formative and certificative testing).

Content and teaching methods

The first part (15 periods) consists in lectures, while the seminar part will take the form of workshops.
During the first part, the following themes will be presented : (i) the goals and objectives of the teaching of Dutch as a foreign language; (ii) the description and illustration of approaches, aids and teaching/learning techniques in the field of Dutch as a foreign language ; the role of "tasks" in language learning and teaching will be examined in detail; (iv) the conception and critical discussion of teaching/learning sequences (including formative and certificative testing).
During the second part, students present lessons/ teaching sequences which are analyzed and discussed in connection with their further reading, personal experience and first teaching practice.

Summary
This course aims to provide the basic theoretical and practical background needed to teach Dutch as a foreign language to French speaking pupils/students. In the first part, teaching objectives and techniques are presented and discussed. The second part is devoted to micro-teaching : students choose their own subject matters, present a so-called teaching period and the different parts of their lessons are analysed and discussed by the peers.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Prerequisites : The students are asked to do some further readings (articles, manuals and information found on the web).
Evaluation : The oral examination consists in the oral presentation and discussion of the teaching/learning sequence which has been presented and analysed during the seminar part of the course. This new presentation will integrate the remarks, suggestions and advice expressed by the peer group and the advisor during the initial presentation.
It should be stressed that class participation is clearly essential to the educational goals of this course. If listening material is included in the didactic sequence, it makes part of the exam and will be handed-over to the assessor when the examination takes place.

Other credits in programs