The aims of the teaching practice

The aims of the teaching practice are to familiarize trainees with the work of the language instructor through complex independent tasks supported by a methodology teacher from the university on the one hand and, on the other, to gain experience in teaching English in a language school under the guidance of a trained mentor. The teaching practice primarily prepares trainees to be able to plan and critically reflect on lessons, and deliver lessons that cater to the unique needs of a given group based on professional and methodological considerations. During the teaching practice, trainees become acquainted with the language instructor’s profession and can take part in teaching-related and organizational activities outside the lessons. Apart from planning the teaching process, the trainees also teach at least 30 lessons in pairs or individually. The teaching practice is intended to improve trainees’ methodological competence as well as their skills in getting to know the learners, developing and evaluating their skills, in pedagogical observation, recording lessons, and analysing and evaluating lessons reflectively.

Type, location, and time frame of the teaching practice

This intensive and professionally very strongly supported teaching practice involves ‘group practice’, which means that one mentor coordinates the work of a group of four trainees in a language school or other course-based environment. Possible locations are (a) language schools or (b) the English Foundation Programme of the Faculty of Humanities of Eötvös Loránd University. The teaching practice provides a gradual shift from university-based theoretical and methodological instruction to real-life language instruction. This gradual shift can be successfully achieved if trainees receive minor tasks in the lessons held by their mentors even before they start teaching on their own.

The strong prerequisite of the teaching practice is the completion of the two methodology seminars and the language proficiency exam. The teaching practice takes place in the second semester, is worth five credits, and requires 60 hours of personal presence (not including preparation time). Trainees teach in pairs or individually, and then participate together in postlesson discussions with their mentor. Parallel with their teaching practice at the language school, trainees attend a support seminar led by a tutor at the university. The aim of this teaching practice support seminar is to provide further professional guidance and support by discussing the trainees’ insights from lesson observations, the steps of lesson planning, the implementation of teaching activities and the possible methods of assessment as well as post-lesson reflections on the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the trainees throughout this teaching experience.  

To learn more about the role of the trainee, the mentor and the school coordinator, please download this document.