科克大学学院

Teachers of Irish are now in high demand in secondary schools, both in English-speaking schools and also in Gaelcholáistí. This degree enables students to qualify as teachers of Irish in combination with a second subject through a 4-year undergraduate teaching degree. The second subjects offered in this degree are French, Spanish, German, Italian, and Mathematical Studies. For the languages, content will consist of intensive language teaching, accompanied by teaching in literature and other aspects of the culture and history of the countries where those languages are spoken. Students will spend one semester studying in the Gaeltacht. Students who chose to combine Irish with another language will also spend an Erasmus semester in the country where that language is spoken (France, Italy, Germany, or Spain). The teacher-education element of the degree includes placements and teaching-experience in schools throughout years 2–4 if the degree. This is a unique opportunity to qualify in 4 years for the exciting and challenging vocation of teaching Irish with another subject.

Why Choose This Course

This is an employment-focused degree that responds to teacher shortages in the secondary school sector.

The BEd Gaeilge is a 4-year degree which will fully-qualify graduates as post-primary teachers of Gaeilge and one other subject (French, German, Italian, Spanish, or Mathematics), without requiring any additional credits or postgraduate qualification.

Long-established, and ever-growing links between UCC and the Gaeltacht areas on its doorstep provide ready-made centres of excellence for teaching and learning of Gaeilge. Embedded features of Gaeltacht and Erasmus residencies during Years 2 and 3 facilitate immersive language exposure, and ensure that on graduation the student will have completed all Teaching Council requirements. Gaeltacht residencies will benefit from Department of the Gaeltacht subsidies. Education work-placements with UCC’s network of school affiliations, in years 2, 3 and 4, account for a significantly high proportion of credits, serving to position graduates strongly for employment.

Skills and Careers Information

In the Irish educational system at present there is a shortage of teachers of Irish and of the other subjects offered in this degree. This is recognised by the Department of Education and Skills in the Teacher Supply Action Plan 2018, which encourages teacher-training degrees ‘which qualify teachers in two subject areas’ including those subjects offered by this degree: Irish, Mathematics, French, German, Spanish, Italian.

Teachers of these subjects are in such demand not only in English-speaking schools. Gaelcholáistí are experiencing shortages of teachers qualified to teach second subjects through Irish. Both shortages are addressed through this BEd, and graduates can expect a high employability profile.