Teaching English with a History Degree

Hi There,

I am interested in teaching English at Secondary level or above (poss Adult Learning) however I have a History degree. As a bit of background I graduated in 2003 and have a TEFL qualification with a month's experience teaching. I applied for a History PGCE a couple of years ago but didn't get into my first choice, was then too late for my second and got rather disillusioned by the whole process.
I was considering applying again but realised that I am more drawn towards English, in particular literacy, grammar, creative writing. English Lit was my strongest A Level by far out alongside History, Politics and General Studies (old-style quals!).
Is there a conversion course of some kind or will work experience and volunteering be the way forward? I have considered becoming a teaching assistant in order to gain an insight and some experience of the classroom/ school life from the other side.
I don't feel at the moment that I have anything on paper that says I have the experience to teach Eng/ etc.
Any advice will be gratefully received!
MTIA :-)

Spider

Reply 1

rottcodd

Given that English PGCEs are quite a popular route for English Literature graduates, I think you would find it a real struggle to get on one with a degree in History. As far as the TDA are concerned, you need to have studied a degree which has 50% content of the subject you want to teach - did you study any English lit. modules for your degree? If it doesn't represent 50% then they wouldn't accept it. There is no conversion course because the English PGCE isn't that much in demand from a recruiter's point of review. You could always do some English Lit. modules with the OU, but you should speak to the TDA recruitment line to get advice on whether that would count or not (which it probably wouldn't).

Reply 2

sophieliz

Solid advice from above. I am sorry to agree that without at least 40% of a degree in English you wouldn't be accepted. I, as a Classicist, considered this route at one stage. I have an A grade in English literature at A level in addition to an Advanced Extension Award in the subject. I also taught EFL. I tried to argue that my study of Latin helped with the roots of English grammar. I also took modules in Shakespeare and Russian Literature as well as mainly classical literature modules whilst at university. I emailed several admissions tutors to seek their advice/opinions and they would not recommend my application. My advice is to email some admissions tutors and ask if they would accept you if you studied some OU english lit/lang modules. I hope you aren't too disappointed.

Reply 3

lilith_bloom

I sympathise. I'm applying for primary education but what I'd really like to teach is English. I'm not sure why I dumped it after A-Level. But I think these posters are probably right. That said, it's only fifteen quid, it's worth a go. I really don't expect to get into my first-choice institution but applied anyway, in the spirit of "if you don't ask...". If your personal statement was different, interesting, really conveyed your enthusiasm and made a strong case for why your History degree would equip you to teach English, and if you then gave a great interview performance, well, hell, you might just be exactly the type of crazy maverick they'd want on their course. Have you done some observation in secondary English classes?

If you don't mind my asking, what was your first choice that you didn't get into? I'm getting a bit obsessive about successful application statistics etc :rolleyes:

Reply 4

SpiderMint

Pants!! The irony is that I decided to study history because it was more of a challenge to me rather than English. I didn't even study any English modules at degree level.
I observed a couple of English classes a while ago as part of my history app, alongside History, just to see general classes.
I wouldn't apply this year, I think I'd like to get some work experience/ volunteering under my belt first tbh. If it's competitive without the right qualification then I don't think I stand a chance really.

Lilith_bloom - got rejected by Institute of Education. Was just so very hacked off with the whole app process - got my application in early Nov, pretty much the earliest you can. I didn't hear from Inst until Jan, and interview wasn't til mid-Feb. By the time they got back to me a week later, Roehamption had shut their doors. I was so annoyed and shocked I didn't bother with clearing.

I think that the GTTR system is seriously flawed in the way they operate. It needs to be like UCAS not like applying for a Masters degree.

Maybe I should give applying for History a go again anyway. I just truly believe that there's a way round...

Reply 5

lilith_bloom

Ah. IoE is pretty competitive. But to make you wait that long for an interview must have been maddening. Typical, I guess, of the elite institutions: the world revolves around them and it probably didn't even occur to them that to keep you hanging on for so long was to ruin your plans for an entire year. I submitted my application form exactly a week ago. Perhaps I should stop obsessively checking 'track' for the time being. I thought they were suppsed to give you a decision within 28 days, so's your application can be sent to your second choice in good time? I agree that this is a baffling and surely needlessly complicated application system.

A thought: can you submit two applications in the same cycle? I haven't seen it anywhere that you can't, and I remember they were pretty explicit about that with UCAS. If so, you could submit one for History and one for English. That way you'd get to dedicate an entire personal statement to your case for why you'd be a great English teacher, and also have a History back-up if you got boring admissions tutors who weren't prepared to go out on a bit of a limb (although I concede: it is kind of lonely out here!). If you had to cover both English and History in the same statement, they might take it as a shadow of doubt cast over your committment. But who knows what goes through these people's minds? :s-smilie:

Reply 6

lilith_bloom

Yeah, but would you be able to do an English Masters with a Philosophy degree? I think you would have to have an English degree to get onto the Masters to begin with. But, same as History, I can see a case for teaching English with your undergraduate background - the political philosophy modules I have done have driven me to distraction with Kant and Hobbes and Mill and Burke: this is reading to the hardcore max :stress: It's worth an application. ***** sake, some of the trainee teachers I know are thick as two short nine inch planks. It would be a shame if people with real spark and committment couldn't get in.