Primary Pedagogy (NŠ)

General Description of NŠ Programme

The Department of English Language and Literature guarantees a five-year study programme for students of primary pedagogy. The required entrance language level is B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. In the first five semesters students study Phonetics and Phonology, Practical Language and Grammar. At the end of this first five-semester period of their English studies students opt to pass Complex Exam. The level of this exam is B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If students pass this exam, they can continue studying towards the state exam in English. For these students in the sixth to ninth semester courses called Literature for Children, Methodology and Teaching Practice course as well as several optional courses are offered. After passing the state exam in English students obtain a certificate for teaching English at the first grade of primary school. If students for some reason decide not to take the Complex Exam, or if they fail to pass the Complex Exam, they continue with an additional two or three semesters of Practical Language classes so that they can pass a language exam. This language exam takes place in the eighth or ninth semester and its level is B2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. After taking this exam students’ studies of English are completed, but they do not obtain qualifications for teaching English. Throughout the studies, emphasis is placed on a creative and active approach to language acquisition and its dissemination.

Year Tutors

The English department offers the system of year tutors to facilitate the communication between the students and the department. The role of the year tutors is to guide students through the sophisticated system of study rules and help them deal with challenges they may face.

Please feel free to contact your year tutor if you have questions. You can find out who your year tutor is by using the table below.

Year Tutors

Year 1	Gabriela Oaklandová
Year 2	Sonia Homolka
Year 3	Ivana Hrozková
Year 4	Ivana Hrozková
Year 5	Naďa Vojtková

Final Exam Topics

Teaching pronunciation – individual sounds, stress, rhythm, intonation, features of connected speech
The role of grammar in the primary school language curriculum
Teaching and learning vocabulary.
Teaching listening
Teaching speaking
Teaching reading
Teaching writing
Stories and how to use them in the lessons
The role of songs and poetry in language teaching
Maintaining learner interest and motivation.
Lesson planning and lesson management
How do young children learn languages. Acquisition and learning.
TEYL in the Czech Republic – Framework Education Programme, School Programmes, Standards.
Planning a syllabus, different approaches, designing topic-based, activity-based, story–based lessons
CLIL, language across the curricula
Giving and getting feedback, monitoring progress, assessment
Resources and materials
School and family cooperation

Final Exam Format

Format of the state exam:

15 minutes preparation
Candidates will choose a topic and will prepare the presentation based on the subquestions they will get. They will use the Portfolio to provide evidence of their teaching practice.

15 minutes presentation
Candidates will talk about the topic providing evidence from the portfolio and justifying the practical things by background knowledge of the theories.

Evaluation Criteria for NŠ Final Exams

Excellent (1): The student shows the understanding of basic theories and principles in TEYL.
The student refers to some reading (e.g., set books – Halliwell, Scott-Ytreberg) without prompting, she has evidence of reading in her Portfolio. She can relate theory to practice and can give evidence of it. She can show a number of materials in her Portfolio that relate to the topic chosen, some of which prove the creativity of the student (adapted or created materials).; The presentation is generally comprehensible, communicated effectively without long pauses, with good pronunciation and just a few minor mistakes that do not obscure the meaning.
Very good (2): The student shows understanding of basic theories and principles in TEYL when prompted, refers to reading when asked, has some evidence of reading in the Portfolio. She can choose the right materials in her Portfolio and speak about them, however, she might have difficulties to relate them to the theory. Her materials show some evidence of creativity, most of them are taken from published materials.; The presentation is comprehensible most of the time, although at times clarification is needed, especially when talking about more abstract topics. Communication is effective though there might be some pauses. Pronunciation is acceptable, with some minor problems. There are frequent mistakes which do not obscure the meaning very much.
Good (3): The student shows partial understanding of theories and principles in TEYL when prompted, does not refer to reading very much even if prompted, has limited evidence of reading in the Portfolio. She can provide some evidence from the Portfolio to match the topic, the majority of materials are taken from published materials or from Methodology sessions. She cannot relate them to theories without prompting.; The presentation is comprehensible, however clarification is often needed. The student does not speak about abstract topics, she is lacking in terminology. Basic communication is evident even though there are some long pauses. Pronunciation is acceptable with some problems. There are frequent mistakes which can partly obscure the meaning and need clarification.
Fail (4): The student does not show any understanding of theories and principles in TEYL even if prompted and does not show any evidence of reading. Her Portfolio is limited both in terms of practical activities and theories and reading. She cannot relate activities to topics and her activities are just randomly copied from different sources.; The presentation is not comprehensible most of the time and needs a lot of negotiation of meaning. She does not use the basic terminology and communication often breaks down. Pronunciation is often inaccurate and makes comprehension difficult. Frequent mistakes and errors obscure the meaning.