Key Info
Bachelor of Education in Languages
About you
If you are considering a career in teaching and have a strong interest in languages, this may be the course for you. This four-year programme attracts students who have excellent communication skills, and are strongly motivated and passionate about languages teaching.
Why study Bachelor of Education in Languages at UL?
UL's School of Education is the largest post-primary teacher education provider in the state and is ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for Education programmes. University of Limerick is also ranked within the top 75 universities in Europe for excellence in teaching and learning.
The aim of the programme is to educate teachers and equip them with the skills and aptitudes for a successful career as a languages teacher. Graduates from the programme will be qualified to teach their chosen languages at both Junior Certificate and Leaving Certificate level.
Learn more about our courses and upcoming events
What you will study
Course Pathways - what are they?
A course pathway, or elective stream, is where you choose a particular area to specialise in within the broader course.
The pathway you choose will influence the modules you can study each semester and will be recognised in your final degree as an area of expertise.
For example, Students on the Bachelor of Education in Languages are required to specalise in 2 languages from a selection of French, German, Irish, Japanese and Spanish.
Pathways in Bachelor of Education in Languages
Students on this course will be required to choose 2 languages from the below to study for their 4 years. Please click on the links below to learn more about studying that language in UL:
You will need to hold a Leaving Certificate H3 in one of the two languages you are choosing to study. German, Spanish and Japanese will be available to study at beginner or advanced level, so can be one of your choices even if you didn't study it up to Leaving Certificate level. Irish and French are offered at advanced level.
What you will study
This programme will provide opportunities for school-leavers with proven ability and interest in languages to acquire a high level of cultural and communicative competence in two languages. The languages students can choose from are French, German, Irish, Japanese and Spanish. You will choose two of these.
The programme is four years in duration and includes a number of school-based teaching practice placements. These include a ten-week placement in the spring semester of year two and a ten- week placement in autumn semester of year four. These placements are designed to provide you, the student teacher, with practice-based opportunities for professional development supported via the supervision of faculty members of the University.
Prior to the completion of your teacher education studies you will need to provide verifiable evidence of an immersive educational experience in the curricular language of a minimum of four weeks duration. This may be accessed in two blocks, each of which must be at least two weeks. At least one of these blocks must be in a setting where the language is the vernacular language of the region/country. Students are responsible for securing and completing these immersive educational experiences themselves; students may apply for internal or external funding to support these immersion experiences. Please note that immersive educational experiences must be completed outside of the UL academic term time.
The immersive educational experience(s) must be one of the following:
- attending a language course
- working as a staff member in an educational setting
- conducting an action research project which is of relevance to your teaching studies
- engaging in School Placement.
By the end of this course, graduates will:
- Demonstrate the required skills to competently and confidently teach through the target languages
- Apply their professional knowledge base to planning and implementing appropriate teaching, learning and assessment strategies and integrate this knowledge with qualities of inquiry and reflective practice
- Observe, reflect and critique practice in a variety of educational settings as well as engaging in non-teaching activities.
- Demonstrate the professional competencies identified in the Teaching Council’s Codes of Professional Conduct for Teachers
- Exercise sound judgement, based on well-considered educational principles, in their planning, design and delivery of relevant disciplinary based teaching and learning experiences in second-level schools
- Develop the personal and interpersonal skills necessary to promote the academic, social and personal development of students in their care
| Year 1 | Semester 1 |
| EN4051 | Contemporary Understandings on Education: Philosophical Perspectives |
| Elective Language 1 Module | |
| Elective Language 1 Literature Module | |
| Elective Language 2 Module | |
| Elective Language 2 Literature Module | |
| Semester 2 | Summer | |
| EN4052 |
Understanding Young People and How They Learn: Psychological Perspectives |
|
| EN4042 | Professional Digital Competence for Teaching | |
| Elective Language 1 Module | ||
| Elective Language 1 Literature Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Literature Module |
| Year 2 | Semester 3 |
| EN4033 | Planning for Learning |
| LP4003 | Language Pedagogy 1 |
| Elective Language 1 Module | |
| Elective Language 2 Module |
| Semester 4 | Summer | |
| TP4024 | School Placement 1 | |
| EN4054 | Understanding Classroom and School Practices | |
| Year 3 | Semester 5 |
| EN4035 | Curriculum and Assessment: Policy and Practice |
| LP4004 | Language Pedagogy 2 |
| EN4045 | Diversity and Social Justice in Education: Sociological Perspectives |
|
Elective Language 1 Literature Module |
|
| Elective Language 2 Literature Module | |
| Semester 6 | Summer | |
| EN4046 | Diversity of Learners: Inclusion and Special Educational needs | |
| Elective Language 1 Module | ||
| Elective Language 1 Literature Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Literature Module |
| Year 4 | Semester 7 |
| TP4027 | School Placement 2 |
| Semester 8 | Summer | |
| EN4018 | Teacher as Professional | |
| Elective Language 1 Module | ||
| Elective Language 1 Literature Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Module | ||
| Elective Language 2 Literature Module |
Entry requirements
| CAO points history |
451
|
|---|---|
| Minimum grades |
Applicants are required to hold at the time of enrolment the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with a minimum of six subjects which must include: Two H5 (Higher Level) grades and Four O6 (Ordinary Level) grades or Four H7 (Higher Level) grades (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English). Note: Grade F6 in Foundation Mathematics also satisfies the minimum entry requirements. Foundation Maths is not reckonable for scoring purposes |
| Subject requirements |
In addition, applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate, or an approved equivalent: H3 in Higher Level French or German or Irish or Spanish or Japanese. |
| Additional considerations |
QQI Pathways information available here. Garda vetting required. |
| Non-EU Entry Requirements |
|
How to apply
| Where are you applying from? | How to Apply |
|---|---|
| Ireland | Irish students must apply to UL via the CAO. More information can be found here. |
| The UK | Students who have completed their A-Levels can apply to UL via the CAO. More information can be found on the Academic Registry website. |
| The EU | EU Students can apply to UL via the CAO. More information can be found on the Academic Registry website. |
Fees and funding
Student course fees are broken into three components - Student contribution, Student Levy and Tuition Fees.
A number of illustrative examples of fees for this course based on the current fee levels have been set out in the tables below.
An explanation of the components, how to determine status and the criteria involved is provided below the examples as is a list of possible scholarships and funding available.
EU Students with Free fees status in receipt of a SUSI grant
| HEA pays | Tuition Fees | €4,262 |
| SUSI pays | Student contribution | €3,000 |
| Student pays | Student Levy | €100 |
| €7,362 |
EU Students with Free fees status not in receipt of a grant
| HEA pays | Tuition Fees | €4,262 |
| Student pays | Student contribution | €3,000 |
| Student pays | Student Levy | €100 |
| €7,362 |
Students with EU fee status not in receipt of a grant
| Student pays | Tuition Fees | €4,262 |
| Student pays | Student contribution | €3,000 |
| Student pays | Student Levy | €100 |
| €7,362 |
Non-EU Students
| Student pays | Tuition Fees | €20,542 |
| Student pays | Student Levy | €100 |
| €20,642 |
Student course fees are comprised of the following components:
Student Contribution
Annual charge set by the government for all full-time third level students. All students are liable unless they have been approved for a grant by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please refer to https://www.studentfinance.ie to determine your eligibility for a grant and for instructions on how to apply. The current student contribution is set at €3000.
Student Levy
All students are liable to pay the Student Levy of €100. Please note the Student Levy is not covered by the SUSI Grant.
Tuition Fees
These are based on Residency, Citizenship, Course requirements.
Review the three groups of criteria to determine your fee status as follows
-
Residency
- You must have been living in an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland for at least 3 of the 5 years before starting your course
-
Citizenship
- You must be a citizen of an EU/EEA member state or Switzerland or have official refugee status
-
Course Requirements
(all must be met)
- You must be a first time full-time undergraduate (Exceptions are provided for students who hold a Level 6 or Level 7 qualification and are progressing to a Level 8 course in the same general area of study).
- You must be undertaking a full-time undergraduate course of at least 2 year’s duration
- You cannot be undertaking a repeat year of study at the same level unless evidence of exceptional circumstances eg serious illness is provided (in which case this condition may be waived)
Depending on how you meet these criteria your status will be one of the following -
- Free Fee Status: You satisfy all three categories (1, 2 and 3) and therefore are eligible for the Higher Education Authority’s Free Fees scheme.
- EU Fee Status: You satisfy both the citizenship and residency criteria but fail to satisfy the course requirements and are liable to EU fees.
- Non EU Fee Status: You do not meet either the citizenship or residency criteria and are therefore liable to Non EU fees.
More information about fees can be found on the Finance website
These scholarships are available for all courses
| Title | Award | Scholarships Available |
|---|---|---|
| All Ireland Scholarships - sponsored by J.P. McManus | €6,750 | 125 |
| Cooperative Education Award | 1 medal per faculty | |
| Elaine Fagan Scholarship | €5,000 | 5 |
| Financial Aid Fund | ||
| Higher Education Grants & VEC Grants | ||
| Paddy Dooley Rowing Scholarship | €2,500 | |
| Plassey Campus Centre Scholarship Programme | ||
| Provincial GAA Bursaries Scheme | €750 | |
| Stuart Mangan Scholarship | ||
| The Michael Hillery and Jacinta O’Brien Athletics Scholarship | Various benefits equating to over €7,000 in value | |
| UL Sports Scholarships | Varies depending on level of Scholarship | Multiple |
Your future career
Career opportunities
Graduates of this programme are qualified for appointment to all second-level schools (vocational, secondary, community and comprehensive schools). Graduates achieving an adequate standard may also proceed to obtain a higher degree by research.
Follow-on study
Graduates have the opportunity to pursue further study in the disciplines of Languages or Education. In addition, graduates can register for higher degrees by research in either Languages or Education that lead to Masters or PhD qualifications.
Meghan Ni Laighin B ED Languages
The Bachelor of Education in Languages course provides a unique opportunity to study education and languages simultaneously, which catered to my interest in both areas. Studying education within this course has been both challenging and rewarding and has developed my confidence as a teacher. I particularly enjoyed the diverse attitude towards teaching that this course aims to create in its’ students through fascinating modules such as Inclusive Education and Educational Technology. As a future teacher, I feel more than confident in my ability to conquer all aspects of the classroom, notably due to the school placement experiences offered by this course. Although a daunting prospect, this course ensures students feel confident entering the ever-changing world of teaching while also providing various other career opportunities.
I also particularly appreciated the diverse approach to language learning here at UL. This course guarantees that language learning is not limited to the classroom. Each module aims to expand cultural knowledge and understanding as well as linguistic ability, fostering a love for languages and a rich educational experience. My fluency has improved through both timetabled classes and supportive resources such as discussion groups with native speakers in the Language Learning Hub, our exclusive study space here at UL.
The variety in both content and assessment in this course creates a uniquely personal university experience, caters to your individual learning style and provides endless career path opportunities and I have loved every minute of it, both on and off campus.
