Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £18,600 for the course -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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What is the UCAS code?
E610
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Combine practical teaching with academic study to begin your teaching career.
- Develop subject expertise through university and placement-based training.
- Apply theory, research and evidence to develop as a critically reflective practitioner.
- Study inclusive practices to promote positive outcomes for learners.
- Learn from expert colleagues and educational partnerships.
You’ll join our dynamic Sheffield Institute of Education and undertake work-related learning in the community. You'll learn about the key aspects of a teacher’s role – including theori
How you learn
We have been rated outstanding by Ofsted across all initial teacher education courses (March 2024). We offer sector leading initial teacher training in early years, primary, secondary and post-16 and we are rated outstanding in all four areas by Ofsted. Inspectors said that ‘Subject sessions are precise in their focus on the latest pedagogical research. This is connected expertly to classroom practice and the impact on pupils’ and that ‘the university’s work with partner schools is exceptional’.
Becoming a language teacher is an opportunity to inspire the future generation and spread the passion for learning languages to young people. Through language teaching we can introduce students to a new culture and enrich their knowledge of the world.
This course will give you the necessary tools to become an inspirational secondary school teacher of MFL – learning about pedagogy, second language acquisition strategies, and developing professional experience to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
You will spend extensive time in secondary school settings, experiencing teaching and reflecting on your everyday practice. You will understand how to plan and deliver the MFL curriculum for 11–16-year-olds and will gain some experience in teaching in post 16 settings. Furthermore, you will focus on a variety of teaching styles and strategies which apply specifically to language acquisition, and you will explore relevant research which will inform your teaching practice.
Besides consolidating your subject knowledge and developing your language teaching skills, this course will help you to enhance your confidence as a teacher, learning about how to engage students, plan effectively, address a wide range of students’ needs and set the best possible environment for your students to have a successful language learning experience.
Throughout the course, you will be introduced to MFL specific strategies for teaching and learning, exploring different ways to prompt students’ acquisition of phonics, grammar and vocabulary. You will consolidate your development as a language teacher by researching subject specific material and exploring useful methods for teaching receptive and productive skills in your language classrooms.
The three modules on the course cover key aspects of professional and pedagogical development, as well as your school-based training. Your professional skills will be assessed by a range of strategies – from observation of your teaching to evaluations, reviews, target setting and action plans
You learn through:
- Seminars
- Directed tasks
- School-based experiences
- Collaboration with expert colleagues
- Intensive training and practice opportunities
- Independent study
- Online learning and collaboration
- Subject-specific practical work
- Assessment tasks
- Critical reflection
- Classroom debates
- Research-informed practice
Key Themes
You are introduced to Modern Foreign Languages-specific skills through university sessions and school-based work. You’ll consolidate your development – both in university and in schools – by researching appropriate material and accessing wider resources.
The three modules on the course cover key aspects of professional and pedagogical development, as well as your school-based training. Your professional skills will be assessed by a range of strategies – from observation of your teaching to evaluations, reviews, target setting and action plans.
Your performance in schools will be monitored and reviewed by a trained school mentor and assessed in collaboration with an experienced university tutor. The other modules you study are assessed through formal academic assessment tasks.
Course-Level Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards Qualified Teacher Status through a number of key areas. These include:
- Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development
- Access to our Skills Centre with opportunities for one-to-one support, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- Employability activities specific to early entry into the teaching profession
Graduate View
“My favourite part of the course was the placements - I experienced six different schools and learnt so much by observing other teachers. The university staff were always supportive and easy to reach, with clear communication throughout. Each placement also had a dedicated mentor who supported me every step of the way on my teaching journey.” Read more.
Applied learning
Placements
On school-based training you will use a range of methods and approaches to apply course theory to your teaching skills. These include observation, collaborative planning and actual practice in the classroom, including team and solo teaching.
Through our network of over 600 partner schools, colleges and other educational establishments you can train in a number of settings. This consists of a minimum of 120 days teaching over one year plus additional allocation of Intensive Training and Practice hours.
Networking
While training with us, you’ll access specialist expertise and gain professional connections to help you find employment
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of what it means to be an effective teacher and explores inclusive pedagogies and adaptive teaching approaches that are relevant to the subject or age range for which they are training to help them develop their professional practice.
In lectures and seminars you will engage with the underpinning research and theory that informs effective pedagogical approaches. You will develop their understanding by observing and exploring how theory and research is applied in practice in their placement settings.
You’ll study topics such as:
• Recognition of prior knowledge
• Subject and phase specific pedagogy and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)
• The domains of knowledge that are relevant to the subject and phase being taught
• Decolonising the curriculum
• Exploring misconceptions
• Modelling, scaffolding, explanations, metaphors and analogies
• Dialogic talk
• Learning sequences, lesson design and curriculum thinking in the specific subject and phase being taught
• Inclusive practice and adaptive teaching approaches in the subject and phase being taught
The aim of this module is to enable you to meet the Standards for QTS. From September 2012 the Teachers' Standards for use in schools in England have defined the minimum level expected of you from the point of being awarded QTS. This module will enable Students to gain Qualified Teacher Status by developing the appropriate subject knowledge, skills and attitudes identified in statutory requirements and non-statutory guidance.
You’ll study topics such as:
• Personal and professional conduct
• Statutory requirements and non-statutory guidance
• Expectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils
• Planning, teaching, assessment strategies and techniques
• Subject, phase and curriculum knowledge including early reading and fundamental mathematics and English
• Adaptive teaching and progression
• Behaviour management
• Trauma informed practice
• Effective working relationships with TAs (Teaching assistants)
• The role of the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Co Ordination) and LAC co-ordinator
• Pupil Premium
• EAL (English as an Additional Language)
• Engaging with parents and carers
• Meeting the needs of a diverse range of learners
• Working with colleagues, parents and other adults
This module enables you to reflect upon their professional learning in your specialist subject throughout the course and prepare for your progression into a professional role.
You will be supported to synthesise their professional learning and to understand the distinctiveness of teaching in your specific specialist subject and age-phase.
You will demonstrate an awareness of the specific needs of your learners and the context and how this may impact on their learning. They will critically engage with underpinning research and theory to inform their development of adaptive pedagogies in their specialist subject in order to improve the outcomes of all their learners.
You will secure learning and critically engage with underpinning research and theory both in the pedagogy of their specialist subject and wider pedagogical issues in order to support a critical evaluation of their practice and articulation of their values and beliefs.
You’ll study topics such as:
• Inclusion including an understanding of the specialist subject context
• Understanding the educational context of learners
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
• Assessing pupil progress in the specialist subject
• Reflective models
• Vision and values for teaching in the specialist subject
• Continuing professional development
• Workload and well-being
• Evaluating impact on pupil learning
Future careers
The majority of Sheffield Hallam trainees graduate as qualified teachers.
You’ll also gain a number of key transferable skills for alternative progression or career routes, including:
- Academic careers as a researcher via Masters-level study and PhD
- Voluntary sector work or research
- Enrichment work with young people
- More general graduate careers
Equipment and facilities
The University-based sessions will be mainly based at City Campus and may include specialist rooms such as laboratories and workshops as appropriate.
There will also be opportunities to engage with online learning and collaboration. Much of your time will be spent applying and developing your professional knowledge in a school setting while on placement.
We have invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Where will I study?
You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
City Campus
City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.
City Campus map | City Campus tour
Adsetts library
Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
An honours degree (normally 2.2 or above) or equivalent, that includes substantial study in at least one modern foreign language (Spanish, French or German). Or you need to be a native speaker of French, Spanish or German, with any degree. If you are not a native speaker but you acquired the language by living for an extended period of time in the target language country, plus you have evidence of recent language studies (e.g. A level in Spanish, French or German) you may be considered for an interview.
Normally GCSE grade C or Grade 4 in English Language and mathematics, or equivalent. Where applicants have achieved a GCSE grade 4 or above in English literature only, we will look for further evidence of a breadth of achievement in English. We will consider applicants who are in the process of obtaining the relevant GCSEs.
Should you have specific questions about the subject entry requirements for this course, please contact Melissa Celi. You are advised to do this prior to applying via DfE Apply.
If English is not your first language you must have an IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in all skills or equivalent. For equivalents see our English language entry requirements web page.
You are encouraged to gain experience of schools through direct observation of teaching and learning and/or by working with young people in subject-related, or other related educational activities.
Candidates who are successful will demonstrate a sound understanding of teaching and how children learn, where possible within a school setting. We encourage all candidates to evidence their understanding by drawing on related examples or experiences, such as time spent in schools or other learning settings. Demonstrating an ability to make links between experience and knowledge, and their proposed career would be desirable.
Selection event
If you are shortlisted, we will invite you to a selection event and you should present a passport or photo driving license. You can present other forms of photo ID for the selection event, but if you do, you will still need to present valid identity documents required by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) prior to starting your course.
See our selection event guidance for this course.
As you will work with children, you must complete a declaration of criminal convictions and health check forms.
We welcome applications from people seeking a career change, and we actively encourage applications from those groups under-represented in teacher education, to help ensure that the teaching profession represents the diverse nature of contemporary UK society.
Course enrolment - professional requirements
Before enrolling you must complete all the professional checks that are required as part of entry for the course:
Suitability Declaration
You must fully declare the following information on the pre-admission suitability declaration form provided during the admissions process:
- Unfiltered criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings. For further information on unfiltered offences please see the Disclosure and Barring Service website.
- Involvement in disciplinary proceedings during paid or voluntary employment or education establishments.
- Involvement with safeguarding proceedings, social services or related organisations.
- If you have ever been removed from a teacher training programme as a result of your behaviour, or would have been removed if you had not left the programme.
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Criminal Record Check
- You will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check prior to or during the enrolment week of your course. This will be provided by the University free of charge.
- You will need to present valid identity documents (PDF) as part of the DBS application process.
- If you have lived outside of the UK for more than six consecutive months in the last five years you must provide an overseas criminal record check. Further information on obtaining an overseas criminal record check.
- Where your DBS Enhanced Disclosure certificate contains any recorded information you must present this to the Academic Administration Team within ten working days of receipt of the certificate.
- In addition to this all those who are made an offer of a place will be checked against the DfE children’s barred list.
Occupational Health Screening
You will need to undertake occupational health screening to determine your suitability to undertake the course. This will be provided by the University free of charge. As part of this assessment you are expected to provide all relevant, truthful and accurate information to ensure a safe environment for yourself and service users.
Other background checks
All applicants that have accepted an offer will also be checked against the prohibition list to ensure you are not:
- Subject to a prohibition order issued by the Secretary of State.
- Prohibited to teach in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA).
If your personal circumstances change in relation to any of the professional requirements, from when you apply to the end of your course, please notify the Academic Administration team immediately by emailing professionalchecks@shu.ac.uk.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Fees and funding
Home students
Tuition fees for 2026/27 are not yet confirmed. Our tuition fee for UK students studying full-time in 2025/26 is £9,535 for the course. These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2026/27 is £18,600 for the course.
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Sheffield Institute of Education (PDF, 154.2KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
