Personal Statement:PGCE Primary with MFL

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Primary PGCE with MFL Personal Statement

I began studying French in Year six and was dismayed when I found out that my school year was the last to take a compulsory GCSE in a language. This was the spur which convinced me I wanted to teach languages to children as young as possible, so their immersion and experience of languages can be positive from the off. With the news that all Key Stage Two pupils are going to be studying languages from 2010, I believe the experience of modern languages will be an integral part of the training of new teachers.

I am a strong communicator with develop interpretational skills through my language study. These skills have been invaluable in my work experience with children as I believe they have helped me understand and interact with them more easily. I have had the opportunity to shadow a year three NQT at a local primary school and have learnt a great deal through this experience. Due to my experience of running my own reading group at my local library, the teacher allowed me to get involved with some of their reading activities. When reading a book out space loud to a group it was interesting to see how the teacher addressed pupils by names and often questioned the less eager children, so their interest was not lost. I found this particularly successful as it meant everyone in the group felt involved and nobody lost focus. Through this I have gained an understanding of the need to adapt to the needs of individual pupils whilst also engaging the group. This shadowing period lasted five days and forms the main part of my school-based training although I have recently lined up a weekly visit to another school from early November until July, in which I will be observing Spanish lessons at both key stages and years four, five and six across the curriculum. I am also awaiting a placement through the Student Associates Scheme 2010.

After being unable to complete my second year of a German and Italian degree due to unavoidable family issues that continued the following year, I transferred to an English degree. Through transferring I have managed to combine my love of language and communication with literature, another of my interests and this has widened my knowledge and developed my critical writing skills, both of which I believe will serve me well in a teaching environment. I am also a competent and advanced user of ICT, which I believe is an essential tool for the development of learning and also for keeping children engaged. I have worked with many different packages and believe with the right training, I would be able to use ICT as a learning support aid.

I am committed to developing teaching skills across the curriculum, furthering my understanding of how to adapt sources for the target group. I have been running my own reading group for under sixes in different locations, starting at my local library during my A Levels and more recently in the bookshop I currently work in. This experience has allowed me to entertain and engage young children and also given me the opportunity to work on my organisational skills with forward planning suitable activities and picking books suitable for the groups. I have also volunteered as a paired reader and learning mentor for 8-12 year olds with learning difficulties and dyslexia. I thoroughly enjoyed this as I felt the children’s pride as their literacy levels developed little by little and their confidence was catching. This experience also taught me the importance of inclusion and the importance of setting suitable learning challenges for those of all abilities.

I am a well travelled individual and feel my experiences around the world are invaluable teaching aids. I love to share my experiences with others and feel they could be used in many ways: as aids for language classes or even geography sessions. As part of my current degree I have studied Creative Writing modules and am a keen amateur writer. This skill means I am inventive and imaginative when it comes to thinking up new ideas for classes and exercises. I have gained supervisory experience in many of my work positions and have had the opportunity to train newer employees in all manner of things: from using kitchen equipment to computer systems and feel this has set me in good stead for a teaching role.

Primary school is the environment in which children are first inspired, form their first academic interests and make their first peer-to-peer contacts and I believe it is the most essential part of education. I believe languages as an element of primary education are also essential, as immersing oneself in another culture and language helps social and educational development. I am committed to becoming a primary school teacher and feel my enthusiasm and experience combined make me a strong applicant.

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