Current UCL students' chat thread!

I'm looking at PGCEs at the moment. Such a cliché languages student. I've found one that offers a PGCE primary with Italian specialism. But it's the only course of its kind in the country.

Would that make me unique in a 'wow, not many of those around, let's hire her!" kind of way? Or a "no one wants one of those, why would you even bother with the course" kind of way?

Any thoughts?

With Italian I don't imagine it's necessary to have a PGCE specialising in it in order to teach it, hence only one course in the country.

I think it's probably more to do with the fact that there isn't much demand for teachers with a PGCE concentrated in Italian - what with languages not compulsory to GCSE like they used to be there really isn't much demand for any language teachers, nevermind for more niche languages like Italian.

Plus I think it's one of those scenarios where the number of Italian graduates wanting to teach far outnumbers the number of Italian teaching positions. I guess you could look at it like if you're competing with lots of others for the same job then maybe Italian PGCE would be helpful, but my personal opinion would be to just do a normal PGCE so you stand a better chance at a wider range of job openings.

Just my two cents :smile:

Reply 1861

gumball

13

Did anyone go to the big event thing in the quad today?

I had the paella for lunch (as it was good the last time I had it) and this time all of the shrimp in it were carrying large groups of visible eggs underneath them, which wasn't particularly appetising.

...... ew.

Original post by gumball

Did anyone go to the big event thing in the quad today?

I had the paella for lunch (as it was good the last time I had it) and this time all of the shrimp in it were carrying large groups of visible eggs underneath them, which wasn't particularly appetising.

I walked past it. Decided that a) I'm broke and b) I doubt it would be vegetarian. Although it is 'vegetarian week' or something.

Reply 1864

Hhanr

I went, the mulled wine and mince pies were goooooooood. But then I am a fan of basically any mulled wine and mince pies.

Reply 1865

jelly1000

21

Original post by Lizia

I'm looking at PGCEs at the moment. Such a cliché languages student. I've found one that offers a PGCE primary with Italian specialism. But it's the only course of its kind in the country.

Would that make me unique in a 'wow, not many of those around, let's hire her!" kind of way? Or a "no one wants one of those, why would you even bother with the course" kind of way?

Any thoughts?

Sorry I put a load of crap, thought I'd deleted it after realising it said Primary PGCE. There is no harm in it, but there isn't really demand for Italian teachers in primary school, the few that do teach languages want French or Spanish teachers (my Mum's friend taught languages in a primary school)

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1866

PJ991

17

Maybe not a primary school though. My brother's school only had Italian lessons (mine didn't have any) at primary level.

I just think to have a PGCE toward primary education with Italian could only be beneficial rather than one without. It's something extra to have. Something that could potentially be beneficial to a school. I don't see how it could be a bad thing.

But what do I know about PGCEs? Nowt.

Reply 1867

Lizia

2

Good points, guys, cheers. The alternative is to do a PGCE with a French specialism, which might be a decent middle ground- I'm more specialised than a standard PGCE but not in a field that could be completely useless. I guess I still have nine months to consider my options, haha.

PJ, how's the Year Abroad planning going?

Reply 1868

littleshambles

14

I've been looking at PGCEs for secondary and I think that basically my degree is completely useless for it. Unless I wanted to become a "citizenship" teacher (which I don't, ever), or maybe RE I guess (which I also don't... ever), I'd struggle to demonstrate the relevance of my degree to any subject. Teach First is different because I have an A Level in English Lit so I could do that, but I really need to, like, get a first, if I wanna do that.

Basically I'm screwed. :frown:

my life r fail.

I could teach primary I suppose. But they don't like my ****ty degree either.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1869

PJ991

17

Original post by Lizia

Good points, guys, cheers. The alternative is to do a PGCE with a French specialism, which might be a decent middle ground- I'm more specialised than a standard PGCE but not in a field that could be completely useless. I guess I still have nine months to consider my options, haha.

PJ, how's the Year Abroad planning going?

I'm not sure where to pick. I was going to ask you, actually. I've saw your posts about the exams there and stuff, but would you pick Milan again? As a city it's somewhere I'd like to go, just I've not looked into the universities themselves.

Reply 1870

paddy

14

Original post by PJ991

Maybe not a primary school though. My brother's school only had Italian lessons (mine didn't have any) at primary level.

I just think to have a PGCE toward primary education with Italian could only be beneficial rather than one without. It's something extra to have. Something that could potentially be beneficial to a school. I don't see how it could be a bad thing.

But what do I know about PGCEs? Nowt.

Yes but people see Italian and they focus on that. They don't think about the extra thing, they look at the diminished focus on the main thing i.e. they see you've gone off to do something irrelevant to the job. They might think that their job isn't your priority and that you're only applying as a back up or because you couldn't get the job you really wanted.

Of course I'm not saying there aren't those that might see Italian as a bonus, I'm just saying that there's only one such course in existence for a reason.

Original post by Lizia

Good points, guys, cheers. The alternative is to do a PGCE with a French specialism, which might be a decent middle ground- I'm more specialised than a standard PGCE but not in a field that could be completely useless. I guess I still have nine months to consider my options, haha.

PJ, how's the Year Abroad planning going?

You know what I can't think of any primary school I went to teaching languages (I changed schools a lot due to moving a lot) - the one private school I went to at that age did but none of the others, I was miles ahead of everyone in French when I started at a state secondary school because no-one else had done it :s-smilie:

Reply 1871

littleshambles

14

But if primary languages were to expand you would be in a good position. I can't see how it would be a bad thing or why anyone would look at it negatively compared to another specialism.

Reply 1872

paddy

14

Original post by littleshambles

But if primary languages were to expand you would be in a good position. I can't see how it would be a bad thing or why anyone would look at it negatively compared to another specialism.

If it were me hiring I wouldn't really understand why someone applied to a job with an unrelated specialism.

I'm not trying to be a super downer, I'm just playing the devil's advocate.

Also it's highly highly unlikely that primary languages are going to expand any time soon.

Reply 1873

littleshambles

14

Original post by paddy

If it were me hiring I wouldn't really understand why someone applied to a job with an unrelated specialism.

I'm not trying to be a super downer, I'm just playing the devil's advocate.

Also it's highly highly unlikely that primary languages are going to expand any time soon.

Yes I know but as a primary teacher you don't HAVE to teach your specialism so I don't see why it matters. Obviously the employer would also know demand for Italian specialism ain't that high. I can see why you would be in a better position if you had an in demand specialism but I can't see how it would in itself be a detriment :dontknow:

Reply 1874

kerily

15

I got personally insulted in Pi Newspaper today :awesome:

Right kerfuffle in a lot of societies and the like. I won't even lie, I didn't expect to open my campus newspaper and find a reference to me personally :tongue:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1875

paddy

14

Original post by littleshambles

Yes I know but as a primary teacher you don't HAVE to teach your specialism so I don't see why it matters. Obviously the employer would also know demand for Italian specialism ain't that high. I can see why you would be in a better position if you had an in demand specialism but I can't see how it would in itself be a detriment :dontknow:

It's not that it's a detriment, it's that it can become a detriment by default (every other applicant having relevant specialisms for instance). That and I just don't see the point in a specialism you don't intend on using.

Again it's just my opinion :holmes:

Reply 1876

Ultimate1

Original post by kerily

I got personally insulted in Pi Newspaper today :awesome:

Right kerfuffle in a lot of societies and the like. I won't even lie, I didn't expect to open my campus newspaper and find a reference to me personally :tongue:

Well, at least you gained some publicity :tongue:

You can tell everyone how you were mentioned in the Campus news :tongue:

Wait, so the LGBT society didn't have a T representative before you? :shock:

Reply 1877

kerily

15

Original post by Ultimate1

Well, at least you gained some publicity :tongue:

You can tell everyone how you were mentioned in the Campus news :tongue:

Wait, so the LGBT society didn't have a T representative before you? :shock:

I'm famous :biggrin:

It didn't! Well. I think they had a trans rep, but not one who was openly trans. I think. Obviously I wasn't here, so I wouldn't know :tongue:

There's been a massive fuss about it in some circles, and I'm really hoping the whole thing gets taken seriously. I'm yet to meet anyone who thinks it was completely appropriate (except the original author), though, so it's all good.

Reply 1878

Noodlzzz

21

Original post by kerily

I'm famous :biggrin:

It didn't! Well. I think they had a trans rep, but not one who was openly trans. I think. Obviously I wasn't here, so I wouldn't know :tongue:

There's been a massive fuss about it in some circles, and I'm really hoping the whole thing gets taken seriously. I'm yet to meet anyone who thinks it was completely appropriate (except the original author), though, so it's all good.

Wow, is he still defending his words? :O

Reply 1879

Ultimate1

Original post by kerily

I'm famous :biggrin:

It didn't! Well. I think they had a trans rep, but not one who was openly trans. I think. Obviously I wasn't here, so I wouldn't know :tongue:

There's been a massive fuss about it in some circles, and I'm really hoping the whole thing gets taken seriously. I'm yet to meet anyone who thinks it was completely appropriate (except the original author), though, so it's all good.

Wow WTF?! The original author doesn't want the Transexual part to be moving forward? Why is that? :confused:

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