How can I get another teaching subject qualification?

Konata

Hopefully this is the right place to ask this!

I am heading into 4th year in uni and am just looking about my options. I've become very interested in teaching since starting this degree and have been researching postgrads but I think I'm hitting a brick wall subject wise. I'm studying Japanese & Translation Studies in DCU (the degree is recognised by the Teaching Council to teach Japanese). I did French for the first 2 years but I know that's not enough to be recognised by the teaching council (I also hated it and wouldn't have much interest in teaching it anyway).

Now obviously I know there's no hope of me getting much work with just Japanese as a subject. Is there any postgrad that lets you study another teaching subject while also getting the education qualification? I've been in college a fair few years now doing different things so am looking for the shortest route possible to do this but my research is leading me to believe it may not even be possible.

I'm actually most interested in Career Guidance but it seems you need an Education degree and teaching experience for that and am not sure I can get that with just the Japanese.

This is obviously not a path I was thinking of when I started the degree so I completely accept if it's not a possibility but just to make sure. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions!

evolving_doors

The 'education qualification' you speak of usually has at least one subject incorporated. So if you apply you would probably need to have a corresponding tutor for that subject (not to sure about the availability of a Japanese tutor on any of the courses). So basically to get onto the Postgraduate Masters in Education you would have had to have studied the chosen subject to degree level.

So the way I see it, you need to figure out what you want to teach and do a degree in it.

I would presume you would be going the languages route!

Konata

Armelodie wrote: »

The 'education qualification' you speak of usually has at least one subject incorporated. So if you apply you would probably need to have a corresponding tutor for that subject (not to sure about the availability of a Japanese tutor on any of the courses). So basically to get onto the Postgraduate Masters in Education you would have had to have studied the chosen subject to degree level.

So the way I see it, you need to figure out what you want to teach and do a degree in it.

I would presume you would be going the languages route!

Thanks for the reply. I figured that'd probably be the case. However, I can't really afford to start another undergrad (in both time and money!) at this point so I'll probably have to give up on this idea for now if there's no way to do it quicker at postgrad level.

Not necessarily sticking with languages. I started off doing a Science degree but had to drop out due to illness and then started this language degree a few years later. In my LC I got A1s in all my subjects so tbh I'd teach any of them! Except French which I have since grown to hate heh. It's a pity I didn't think much about teaching when choosing this degree as my subject choices have left me very limited. However, I'm really just trying to find out if it's a possibility so better to find out it isn't before I get my heart too set on second level teaching I guess!

seavill

Do you know how many students sit leaving cert Japanese each year? Is there a junior cert subject?

Boober Fraggle

Would you consider primary school teaching?

I can't see any way around doing an undergraduate degree in 2 subjects which are common and in demand at second level.

Konata

seavill wrote: »

Do you know how many students sit leaving cert Japanese each year? Is there a junior cert subject?

Not that many. It wouldn't be in most school's timetable anyway - students usually study it privately. Whatever career I end up in I'll probably teach Japanese privately anyway.

Boober Fraggle wrote: »

Would you consider primary school teaching?

I can't see any way around doing an undergraduate degree in 2 subjects which are common and in demand at second level.

Primary teaching is actually my main goal but I'm doubtful about my ability to get in due to the Irish interview (I've started studying it again but it's hard with heading in to final year too) mainly. So I'm exploring other options too but looks like secondary teaching is out unless I go for another undergrad but if I'd be doing that I'd go for the primary teaching so it's probably out!

Appreciate the responses - just wanted to make sure there wasn't some route I had missed in my research.

spurious

Between 250 and 300 candidates take Japanese each year.

derb12

Secondary school teaching looks like basically starting again for you, but isn't there a primary school teaching 18 month course you can do in Pat's once you have a degree and hons irish LC? I know someone who did this about 10 years ago. He had a degree in some aspect of IT, studied in Pat's for 18 months and walked into a primary teaching job he loves straight after. It's a different story now for teaching grads jobwise, but it might be something to consider.

Konata

derb12 wrote: »

Secondary school teaching looks like basically starting again for you, but isn't there a primary school teaching 18 month course you can do in Pat's once you have a degree and hons irish LC? I know someone who did this about 10 years ago. He had a degree in some aspect of IT, studied in Pat's for 18 months and walked into a primary teaching job he loves straight after. It's a different story now for teaching grads jobwise, but it might be something to consider.

It's a 2 year course these days. I have an A1 in Honours Irish but it was 6 years ago and unfortunately you have to pass an interview in Irish to get in (aswell as the standard interview). I believe it's extremely competitive these days and very difficult to get into.

evolving_doors

Konata wrote: »

It's a 2 year course these days. I have an A1 in Honours Irish but it was 6 years ago and unfortunately you have to pass an interview in Irish to get in (aswell as the standard interview). I believe it's extremely competitive these days and very difficult to get into.

don't let that put you off though, you could do a summer course in the gaeltacht to get you going again though. A1 in hons is a pretty good starting point abd you'd be on a par with any other student

Siobhan_d13

Another option is a CELT course. I'm a secondary school teacher with English and Geography and I can't get work so unless you really really really want to be a secondary school teacher, then I'd advise against it. It's so hard to break into, and the days of choosing teaching as a career on a whim are dead and gone. You could do a CELT course in 4/5 weeks and you're qualified to teach in one of the many English language schools across the country. There seems to be a good bit of work if you spread yourself out over a few schools. It's also an internationally recognised course (including English-speaking countries) so ideal for travelling. Best of luck with it all! It can be a stressful time but it's exciting, make the best of it!