Graduate Certificate in Languages Education

The Graduate Certificate in Languages Education is an 18 unit course offered by the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work. The program can be completed in distance mode, on campus, or in a combination of delivery modes.

The Graduate Certificate in Languages Education encapsulates a critical and contemporary understanding of languages education and is designed for any educators or other professionals who are employed or intend to work in the field of languages education (foreign, second, TESOL), and those who have an interest in further enhancing their knowledge and practice in learning and teaching languages.

The Graduate Certificate in Languages Education articulates with the Master of Education and the Master of Leadership in Education.

• Admission requirements
  
• Course aims
• Learning outcomes
• Program of study

Admission requirements

Applicants must normally hold an approved degree or equivalent qualification from an approved tertiary institution, which includes at least a minor sequence in any foreign language (including TESOL), consisting of four University level topics, or have had at least one year teaching experience in any foreign/second language/TESOL in a school or other approved institution.

However, the Dean (Education) may, under certain circumstances and subject to specific conditions, admit others who can show evidence of fitness for candidature.

Course aims

The Graduate Certificate in Languages Education provides students with opportunities to:

• further develop and apply in-depth knowledge of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, policies and practices to improve language learning outcomes ((foreign language/second language/TESOL)
• engage in inquiry, debate and reflection pertaining to theoretical and practical matters in languages education in such a way as to improve professional decision making
• examine their own teaching and develop evidence-based models for practice
• critically examine affordances of new technologies in languages education and the role of e-pedagogy
• employ local and global social, cultural, political and economic perspectives and practices associated with the education of children, young people and adults in the field of languages education
• broaden their professional learning goals to incorporate methods for fostering interdisciplinary and intercultural partnerships, and working collaboratively

Learning outcomes 

On completion of this course you will be able to:

• critique recent literature and engage in reflective debate to improve learning and teaching practices in languages education (foreign language/second language/TESOL) in a range of educational contexts (including distance/online education) in early childhood, primary, secondary, and tertiary/adult languages education
• evaluate and apply high-level technical and communication skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship in the field of languages education
• formulate an advanced understanding of educational theories, research, policies and practices in the field of languages education from knowledge gained through readings, discussion and writing
• justify contemporary evidence-based knowledge when operating and leading in educational contexts in the field of foreign language/second language/TESOL education

Program of study

To qualify for the Graduate Certificate in Languages Education, a student must complete 18 units with a grade of P or NGP, or better, in each topic according to the program of study below.

Option - Year 1 topics

18 units of option topics selected from the following list:

EDUC8731 Motivation, Cognition and Metacognition in Learning (4.5 units)
EDUC9704 Exploring Languages Pedagogy - Theory and Practice (4.5 units)
EDUC9705 Developing Literacies Through Intercultural Language Learning (4.5 units) 
EDUC9706 Visualising Language Learning (4.5 units) 
EDUC9708 New Technologies and e-pedagogy in Foreign Language Education (4.5 units)