Search Results for 'Multilingualism'

There is no point in beating around the bush; life under lockdown is pretty boring. We have gone from having a world of options from which to choose such as playing sport; shopping for leisure; or simply just calling round to our friends' houses and hanging out, to essentially, sitting in our homes all day and perhaps going for a walk in a secluded area.

There is no point in beating around the bush; life under lockdown is pretty boring. We have gone from having a world of options from which to choose such as playing sport; shopping for leisure; or simply just calling round to our friends' houses and hanging out, to essentially, sitting in our homes all day and perhaps going for a walk in a secluded area.

BY MATT CASSIDY

Teaching English as a foreign language, or TEFL, is a popular choice among graduates who want to go travelling or people wishing to change career. "The most recognised TEFL qualification in the world is the University of Cambridge CELTA," says IH Galway director Mary Grennan. "The CELTA was the first ever TEFL course. It’s been in existence since 1962 when it was designed by the founder of International House, John Haycraft, so there’s a lot of history and intellectual knowledge there. Unlike other TEFL courses, CELTA tutors are highly qualified teacher trainers and each course is externally assessed by a nominated Cambridge assessor, who comes to the centre to assess each course we run. This makes the CELTA a highly reliable qualification that schools and universities worldwide can trust. For this reason, 87 per cent of the English language teaching positions advertised around the world request the CELTA qualification – and no other one."

Headstart Children’s Language School was co-founded by Michelle Collins and Christina Rock, who both are highly qualified language teaching tutors. The children’s language classes are held at the Parish Centre, Castlebar, and tutors Michelle and Christina offer the following advice:

The decision to abolish teaching foreign languages in primary school is “shows a disregard for the importance of language teaching at a young age and a short-sightedness about the future needs of this country”.

The Mayo Multilingual Support Services Booklet was recently launched in Castlebar by Jim Power of the Mayo County Childcare Committee. The booklet was developed to provide information on support services for children and families that are available in Mayo.

Saturday morning Spanish language classes specially designed for children are starting soon at the Spanish Institute of the Granary Learning Centre.

An education conference which will be held at NUI Galway later this month will look at an emerging method of teaching languages which is gaining popularity across Europe.