These courses are suitable for:
☑ teacher trainees
☑ proficient/native Mandarin speakers
(Not you? Return to main Teacher Training page.)
Courses for trainees… who already speak Mandarin:
We are currently planning more great training courses and events for 2015/16. All courses are subject to demand. Register your interest today! (Form below)
Please note that as a trainee Mandarin speaking teacher, you are welcome to apply for appropriate other courses for qualified Mandarin teachers, although priority will be given to teachers currently teaching.
15th Annual Chinese teaching conference
— The UK’s largest gathering of Mandarin school teaching professionals: Keynotes, professional development workshops, student performances, an exhibition of teaching materials, networking, and more… Read more.
Skills Short Course for PGCE students
— A two-day face-to-face training event in Mandarin-specific pedagogy for Mandarin speaking MFL PGCE students
Dynamic Classroom: Investigating the teaching and learning of characters
–This workshop is a collaborative look at best practice in the Chinese language classroom, and an opportunity to workshop ideas with colleagues to test out new approaches and ideas to support the teaching and learning of characters. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates.
Classroom Management
— This workshop focuses on creating an atmosphere in your classroom that leads to optimal conditions for successful learning. From co-creating basic behaviour expectations, to prioritising engaging activities that challenge each student, we will look at ways in which we can use our own strengths as a teacher to modify and reduce unwanted behaviour, whilst motivating and encouraging students. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates.
Dynamic Classroom: Technology and Online Classrooms
–Teachers who are already using an online classroom will know that it provides an opportunity to engage with students outside the classroom, vital to ensuring that that language learning process is ongoing. Teachers focusing on the new GCSE specifications in particular will know that students need far greater exposure to authentic materials, and opportunities to use their language (spoken and written) in a spontaneous manner, which limited classroom time will not provide. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates.
Schools and Universities Day
–The annual one-day event aims to bring together schools and universities from around the UK who offer Chinese language and/or cultural studies for students, to be able to learn more about each other, from both the school and university perspective… Read more.
Working with film, music and video
–Every language teacher knows the benefits of bringing film, music and video into the classroom, but are we using this resources as thoroughly as we could do? This workshop helps participants consider how we can exploit a resource to its fullest extent, to get the most out of the work we put into finding these resources, and to help students think more creatively when working away from the textbook. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates.
Professional Development: Revision and Reviewing Techniques
–How do we approach revision and reviewing work? Do we always use the same methods, or do we try new ideas? This workshop examines the ways in which we as a teaching community recycle and review vocabulary throughout the year, and how we should be systematically embedding it into our teaching. We will also look at creative ways to bring revision into the classroom, building learner autonomy, and making the process more fun! Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates.
Creating Activities and Games (Primary and Secondary)
–Do you find yourself using the same handful of activities all the time because you trust that they will work? Does that inspire you and your students, or is it starting to feel stale and boring? Would you like to change what you do, but don’t really know how to start? This workshop, apart from giving practical examples, will look at the principles behind creating great materials, with the aim of helping teachers understand what makes an activity successful, think about their own teaching context and style, and be able to apply their own creativity and imagination when designing new activities. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates
Primary Culture and Language Input
–This workshop takes a closer look at the contents of the Chinese Studies programme IOE CI Primary Coordinator James Trapp has been working on with Rosendale school and will encourage participants to consider how they might best integrate the lessons and ideas into a more traditional language teaching environment. Please join the E forum to be informed of workshop dates
Teaching Beyond the Textbook
–Too often as teachers we get stuck in certain ways of teaching, largely dictated by the demands of the curriculum and exam specifications, and the structuring of the main textbooks we use. This workshop encourages participants to think beyond the textbook, by deconstructing the ideas and language presented, to recreate or extend activities to suit their particular learners’ needs, or re-purpose themes and materials to better suit their environment.
Costs:
All courses are heavily subsidised; the majority will be free (Annual Conference not included). A refundable deposit may apply (approx. £40). Bursaries are available.
N.B. In the event of courses becoming overbooked, priority for places will be given to teachers in mainstream schools.
(Looking for a course that leads to Qualified Teacher Status? Read about the UCL Institute of Education PGCE Mandarin course.)
Register your interest today!
Please submit this form to receive further course information when it becomes available. For more general enquiries please contact us at chinesenetworks@ucl.ac.uk
Courses I am interested in… (please tick) (see descriptions above)
