Spanish

You complete the teacher training programme at the University of Jena with the First State Examination. The standard period of study|regular programme length is ten semesters in total, during which various types of courses (e.g. seminars, lectures or tutorials) are offered for the individual modules. The teacher training programme is based on the Jena model, which is characterised by a five-monthExternal link school placement semesterExternal link in the fifth or sixth semester.

As a future teacher, you will study two subjects on an equal footing at the University of Jena and round off your pedagogical profile with an accompanying programme in Educational Science. A total of 300 credit points (ECTS)|ECTS credits (1 ECTS = 30 hours of attendance, preparation and follow-up work|follow-up activity, study and assessed coursework and examinations) are required. You prove|to register for|to take two examination subjects (one of which would be Spanish) including subject didactics totalling 95 CP. In addition, there are the Educational Science modules with 20 CP and the school placement semester with 30 CP. The remaining 60 CP are accounted for by the examination modules for the first state examination and the seminar paper (to be written at home).

The degree programme is designed in such a way that it can also be completed within the standard period of study|regular programme length with a one-semester stay abroad. For example, you can complete the school placement semester at a school in a Spanish-speaking foreign country.

Further information on the structure of the teacher training course in Jena can be obtained from the Centre for Teacher Training and Educational Research.

The following table shows you an example of a possible degree programme structure for the teaching degree subject »Spanish«:

Abbreviations: CP = credit points (ECTS)|ECTS credits

• An ideal balance between theory and practice: At the Institute of Romance Studies de, you will learn to research the Spanish language and the Hispanophone cultural area and to reflect academically on school issues relating to the teaching of Spanish. At the same time, you will be confronted with concrete examples that will pave your way into practice. You will complete a preparatory work placement and a school placement semester in the first half of the degree programme, giving you intensive insights into the teaching profession at an early stage. This allows you to gain your own practical teaching experience while immersing yourself in your future working life, which you will analyse scientifically later on in your studies. Some teaching staff from the subject area|field work in the teaching profession at the same time and incorporate current needs, situations and developments in the school landscape into the course|classes.
• Familiar atmosphere and individual support: The balanced relationship between students and teaching staff at the institute ensures a familiar study atmosphere. Working in clearly organised seminar groups also enables excellent supervision. Many course|classes are accompanied by tutorials, which offer additional help for exam preparation. The student council, which consists of experienced students from various degree programmes in Romance Studies, will also advise you on all matters relating to your studies right from the start.
• Development of digital media skills: Digitalisation is increasingly shaping everyday school life and will be a constant companion in your professional life. For this reason, we organise various projects at the Institute of Romance Studies so that you not only acquire expertise|specialist knowledge, but also learn how to use digital media professionally and reflectively in Spanish lessons at school.
• Opportunity to study in several languages: At the Institute of Romance Studies de, you can acquire language skills in 4 other Romance languages in addition to Spanish: French, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian. If you want to increase your career opportunities, you can study French and/or Italian as an extension subject, for example.
• Plenty of opportunities to practise Spanish: Language classes are taught exclusively in Spanish by mainly native-speaking lecturers*. Authentic Spanish-language materials are covered in the academic course|classes so that you are constantly in contact with the Spanish language. International conferences, readings and talks by authors and lectures by Hispanophone guest lecturers take place regularly. There is also a wide tender of creative and continuing education activities where you can practise and deepen your knowledge of Spanish in a variety of ways. You can take part in the Spanish theatre group, which regularly performs a play in Spanish. Last but not least, the student representatives supplement the programme with numerous activities such as games, reading or film evenings with current films from the Hispanophone cultural area.
• Adventures abroad: You can easily fulfil your dream of a semester abroad de. Our university has a worldwide network of partner universities. Every foreign language is best perfected directly in the target language country. We therefore recommend that you spend at least one semester in a Spanish-speaking country during your studies.

Career opportunities:

• General education: The typical route into school practice is via the preparatory service (traineeship). During this phase, you develop your practical teaching skills on the basis of your degree. Secondary school teachers have very good employment prospects.
  
  
• Adult education: Outside the school system, there are opportunities for you to work as a teacher in the subject) area|field of adult education.

The teaching degree completed in Thuringia is recognised|to credit in all other federal states upon formal request to the respective Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. You can apply to the Ministries of Education and Cultural Affairs of other federal states both for the preparatory service (Referendariat) and for employment in the teaching profession (after completing the second state examination). You can obtain more detailed information on this from the respective Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs. In Thuringia in particular, Spanish is not yet taught at all schools, but it is a popular and sought-after foreign language that is being tendered at more and more schools, so that there is a continuous and increasing demand for Spanish teachers.