TEACHING ENGLISH AS A

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
 Index

TEFL programme presentation

1. TEFL programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1. Courses of the programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2. Pedagogical model and general aims of the programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.3. Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3.1. Master . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3.2. Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English
as a Foreign Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3.3. Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching
and Learning (A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
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1.3.4. Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching

and Learning (B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.3.5. Certificate in Language and Culture (C) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.4. Length of the courses, extensions and temporary leave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2. Learning process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.1. The sensitization phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.2. The teaching phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.3. The final project phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.3.1. General Information for the preparation of the Final Project (FP) . . . 11
2.3.2. Functions of the FP director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.4. Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.1. Assessment in the subjects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
2.4.2. Reflective tasks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3. Study tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
4. The PANAL and the Virtual Campus (VC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
5. Forms of communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

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 TEFL programme
presentation
Teaching English as a Foreign Language programme offers various courses and inter-university
training. This document is intended to be a reference guide for students enrolled in one of the
following courses:

• Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. This programme is entitled by

Universidad Europea del Atlántico (university's own certification) and Universidad
Internacional Iberoamericana (Puerto Rico).
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• Máster universitario en Lingüística Aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua

extranjera. This programme is entitled by Universidad Europea del Atlántico.
• Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera. This
programme is entitled by Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana (Mexico).
• PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
• Certificate A, B or C.

Therefore, it is essential that the student read carefully the academic information regarding them.

One of the keys to success in studying by distance mode is being able to manage your study time
effectively. Below we outline how the program has been designed to help you study more
effectively, and we also provide you with a number of study tips to help you organize your studies in
order to ensure that you get the maximum out of your distance studies.

Besides, in order to orient yourself to the course more thoroughly, and thus derive the maximum
benefit from it, there are a number of short books which we recommend you read. Oxford
University Press has brought out a series of books which aim to introduce the reader to basic
issues in linguistics. Each of these books is short and very easy to read, and each provides an
excellent introduction to key areas which will be covered during the course. The series is called
Oxford Introductions to Language Study (OILS), and the titles which we recommend, in order of
preference, are:

• Ellis, R. (1997): Second Language Acquisition. OUP.

• Scovel, T. (1998): Psycholinguistics. OUP.
• Spolsky, B. (1998): Sociolinguistics. OUP.

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 TEFL programme presentation

In addition to these there is another book from Cambridge University Press that provides you with a
fairly good overview of the central issues in ELT:

• Carter, R. and Nunan, D. (ed.), (2001) The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages. CUP.

Try to read at least one of these books during the orientation period. This will provide you with a
solid background for the first term.

• On-line Bookstores. There are a number of good on-line bookshops which will ship books at
reasonable prices:
• Amazon Bookstore. One of the best-known web bookstores, based in the USA
http://www.amazon.com
• The English Book Centre. A bookstore which specialises in TEFL books, based in Britain.
Discounts (10-15%) are available for IATEFL members http://www.ebcoxford.co.uk

1. TEFL PROGRAMME

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1.1. COURSES OF THE PROGRAMME

Courses in the TEFL programme correspond to any of the following modalities:

• Master:
 Master in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
 Máster universitario en Lingüística aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua
extranjera.
 Maestría en Lingüística Aplicada a la enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera.
• Postgraduate Diploma:
 PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
• Certificate A, B or C:
 Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching and Learning (A).
 Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching and Learning (B).
 Certificate in Language and Culture (C).

1.2. PEDAGOGICAL MODEL AND GENERAL AIMS OF THE PROGRAMME

The programme designed for the Master, Diploma and Certificates in TEFL has many distinctive
features compared to other in-service teacher training programmes:

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 • It breaks away from the limited reductionist view that is generally had concerning on-line
distance education, where the student is merely provided with material and as such only
encouraged to engage in individualistic learning.
• Along the lines of the above idea, special attention is paid to the processes that are essential
to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the training (collaborative and constructivist
learning).
• The materials and the didactic resources have been specially designed to help you monitor
and assess your own progress.
• Access is offered to all bibliography that can be considered compulsory readings.
• Efficient and flexible channels of communication are available to deal with your queries.
• Students are offered constant support and multiple ways in which to communicate with
teachers and peers, both in relation to academic matters and to those of personal interest.

This model focuses on four pillars of equal importance: students, teachers, materials and
activities.

The overall objective of the programme leading to the award of the Master, Diploma and
Certificates in TEFL is to provide a base for the development of the academic and professional
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skills required to teach English in any of the various teaching-learning contexts that exist. The aim
thus being to complement professional practice with contemporary knowledge and insights,
concerning the nature of foreign language learning and teaching, and to develop the perceptions,
knowledge, resources and practical skills necessary to build on this theoretical base.

The promotion of critical reflection is one of the aspects, which defines the very nature of the
project, and bridges the gap between a solid theoretical knowledge and its required practical
application.

1.3. CURRICULUM

1.3.1. Master

Introductory Part

Methodological Approaches

Classroom Management

Second Language Acquisition

Materials & Resources in EFL

Individual Factors

Content & Language Integrated Learning

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Advanced Part

Tasks and Projects / El enfoque por tareas en la enseñanza del inglés LE/L2a

Computer Assisted Language Learning / Tecnología educativa en el aprendizaje de lenguas

Learning Strategies / Estrategias de aprendizaje de lenguas

Observation & Research / Práctica reflexiva y desarrollo profesional

Developing Language Skills

Teaching English through Translation / La enseñanza del inglés a través de la traducción

Approaches to Language / Psicolingüística e interlengua

Teaching Pronunciation / La enseñanza del léxico y de la pronunciación del inglés LE / L2

English in the Community / El inglés: una lengua de uso internacional

Assessment & Testing / La evaluación del proceso de aprendizaje del inglés LE / L2

Curriculum & Course Design / El currículo del inglés LE y la planificación de cursos y clases

Prácticasb

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Final Project
a) The name of the subjects is written in Spanish in the Máster en Lingüística Aplicada a la enseñanza del
inglés como lengua extranjera (Uneatlántico), but content is exactly the same.
b) Internships are only part of the curriculum for students enrolled in the Máster en Lingüística Aplicada a la
enseñanza del inglés como lengua extranjera, which is entitled by Universidad Europea del Atlántico.

1.3.2. Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Second Language Learning and Teaching

Second Language Acquisition
Individual Factors in the learner's development
Observation and Research in the language classroom
Approaches to Language in the classroom context
Methodologies and Materials in Language Learning and Teaching
Methodological Approaches
Developing Language Skills in the classroom
Materials and resources in EFL - design, creation, adaptation and evaluation
Classroom Management - techniques and reflections on practice
Curriculum and Course Design
Content & Language Integrated Learning
Assessment & Testing in the Classroom
Curriculum & Course Design
Postgraduate Diploma Final Project

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 1.3.3. Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching and
Learning (A)

Classroom Management - techniques and reflections on practice

Methodological Approaches

Second Language Acquisition

Content & Language Integrated Learning

Individual Factors in the learner's development

Materials and resources in EFL - design, creation, adaptation and evaluation

1.3.4. Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching and

Learning (B)

Developing Language Skills

Approaches to Language
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English in the Community

Teaching Pronunciation

1.3.5. Certificate in Language and Culture (C)

Observation & Research

Curriculum & Course Design

Assessment & Testing

Task & Projects

For more details on the content of the subjects please see:

https://www.funiber.es/master-universitario-en-linguistica-aplicada-a-la-ensenanza-del-ingles-
como-lengua-extranjera#field-descripcion-asignaturas

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 TEFL programme presentation

1.4. LENGTH OF THE COURSES, EXTENSIONS AND TEMPORARY LEAVE

The following table summarises the length of each course:

Course Length

Mastera Between 12 and 25 monthsb

PostGraduate Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign

18 months
Language

Certificate in Fundamental issues in Language Teaching

8 months
and Learning (A)

Certificate in Applying the principles of Language Teaching

4 months
and Learning (B)

Certificate in Language and Culture (C) 4 months

a) All master's degrees have the same duration, regardless of what university they are entitled by.
b) The length of the course will vary between 12 and 25 months according to whether the student must take
the introductory phase or not, and how much time he/she will devote to the elaboration of the Project/
Master's Final Project/ Maestría.

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In exceptional situations where you can justify the need to interrupt your studies, you should
contact the Academic Secretary or Scholarship Office of the place where you registered, to be
informed how to proceed.

You should check the conditions to do so.

It is understood that each academic program has a specific duration and that, therefore, not
complying with the academic calendar corresponding to the start date of the program will entail
the payment of an extension. However, if the student needs one more month to complete, they may
request from their PF director or the area's academic secretariat (sec.acad.fp@funiber.org) an
academic extension without an economic surcharge of one month. This academic extension only
applies in the event that the student has approved all their subjects and has delivered Advance 2
of their PF. To apply you must be within the month of completion of your academic program. In the
event that the student needs more than one month to complete their studies, they must request
an extension with additional cost to the FUNIBER headquarters in which they registered.

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 2. LEARNING PROCESS

All students starting the course on the same date belong to the same group. For example, students
starting on October the 15th belong to the same group regardless of the course they are following.
To distinguish one group from another one an identification label is assigned, following the criteria
below:

fp = Formación del Profesorado (area)

tefl = Teaching English as a Foreign Language (program)
2019 = Year when the student’s program begins
10 = Month when the students’ program begins

That is to say, a student starting on October the 15th will belong to group fp_tefl_2019-10. The
information about the area and the program is immovable. The only difference between the groups
is the information regarding the year and the month of the call. At the same time, this information
is used to identify the groups.

Every year there are three calls for starting the program: February (02), June (06), and October
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(10). In the previous example, “2019-10” refers to the group starting on October, 2019. Therefore,
the following groups are: fp_tefl_2020-02 / fp_tefl_2020-06 / fp_tefl_2020-10, and so on.

The Subject Forum is a significant communication and academic tool in the course. The use of this
forum is limited exclusively to the corresponding subject. This forum has two aims:

1. First, it is the space that the teacher of every subject uses to communicate publicly with the
whole group. Through it, the tutor specifies the beginning and end date of the tutorials, and
provides academic information of general interest related to the subject. In this forum the
student can state his/her doubts about the information, but always respectful to the chain
of messages initiated by the teacher. In case the student wants to consult or contribute on
matters not raised by the teacher, he or she must get in touch with the him/her through
private mail, then the teacher will decide if it is opportune or not to move the consultation
or contribution to the forum and to share it with the rest of students.
2. Second, the Subject forum may also be used to celebrate group academic activities that
teachers program.

Students should enter this reference forum regularly in order to keep up with the work.

Another important tool to keep in mind is the Group Forum. The use of this forum is limited
exclusively to the students belonging to the same group. The aim of this forum is to provide general
information about the program, such as the messages for the Virtual Campus tutorials or
communications about the Final Project deliveries, among others. Therefore, the student should
also consult this forum regularly.

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 TEFL programme presentation

The academic calendar for each group is available in the icon “Academic Calendars”. The student
must only take the subjects belonging to the course in which he or she is enrolled.

The learning process of the courses in the TEFL programme consists of three phases: the
sensitization phase, the teaching phase and the Final Project phase. Detailed information on each
of these phases is provided below:

2.1. THE SENSITIZATION PHASE

All the students will be provided with a period of orientation within the first two weeks of the
course. This period has the dual purpose of socializing, in order to enhance the group atmosphere
and the teacher/student relationship, and learning how to use the VC (how to send a VC e-mail,
how to send attachments, how to post messages on the forums, etc.). Over the years we have been
able to observe exactly how useful this orientation period is and in fact, at times it can even be
seen to be absolutely crucial in establishing favorable group dynamics for the duration of the
course.

In order to achieve these objectives, the student should read carefully the tutorials included at
Discover the Campus section (in the Home Page) and complete the practical exercises. This

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practice will allow him / her to get used easily to the campus and quickly get to grips with the ins
and outs of it. The completion of the practical exercises is compulsory and we strongly recommend
the student to pay attention to the information they provide because it is focused specifically on
the programme the student is enrolled - tutorials, however, are generic to all Funiber programmes -
. The practical exercises must be carried out in two weeks.

Even if the introductory phase has been validated, you will have to do tutorials available in the
“Discover the Campus” icon. For practical exercise 9, however, you will have to read carefully
information provided there but you will not be able to participate in the group activity available in
the forum. As a matter of fact, you will be joining third term as a consequence of the validation and
the group you belong to already did that practical exercise when instruction started.

2.2. THE TEACHING PHASE

The teaching phase begins with the first subject specified in the academic calendar.

Here there is an example of calendar:

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 2019-06 Group calendar

Introductory Part
Official due Date
Term Subjects Tutorials Assignment /
Tests Due
Virtual Campus Tutorials 15/06/19 – 30/06/19 ---
TERM 1 Methodological Approaches 01/07/19 – 02/08/19 19/08/19
June –
October 2019 Classroom Management 19/08/19 – 20/09/19 22/09/19
Second Language Acquisition 23/09/19 – 29/10/19 31/10/19
Materials and Resources in EFL 01/11/19 – 06/12/19 08/12/19
TERM 2
09/12/19 – 22/12/19
November Content & Language Integrated Learning 26/01/20
08/01/20 – 24/01/20
2019 –
February 2020 Individual Factors in the Learner's
27/01/20 – 27/02/20 29/02/20
Development

Advanced Part
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Official due Date

Term Subjects Tutorials Assignment /
Tests Due
Developing Language Skills / Desarrollo de
01/03/20 – 27/03/20 29/03/20
las destrezas en el aula
ADVANCED Approaches to Language / Psicolingüística e 30/03/20 – 08/04/20
PART 03/05/20
interlengua 20/04/20 – 01/05/20
TERM 3
March – June English in the Community / El inglés: una
04/05/20 – 29/05/20 31/05/20
2020 lengua de uso internacional
Teaching Pronunciation / La enseñanza del
01/06/20 – 28/06/20 30/06/20
léxico y de la pronunciación del inglés LE / L2
Observation & Research / Práctica reflexiva y
01/07/20 – 24/07/20 26/07/20
desarrollo profesional
Initial Proposal Due (D1) – Option 1 -------- 05/09/20
Curriculum & Course Design / El currículo del 27/07/20 – 07/08/20
ADVANCED 06/09/20
inglés LE y la planificación de cursos y clases 24/08/20 – 04/09/20
PART
TERM 4 Assessment & Testing / La evaluación del
07/09/20 – 02/10/20 04/10/20
July – October proceso de aprendizaje del inglés LE / L2
2020
Tasks and Projects / El enfoque por tareas en
05/10/20 – 29/10/20 31/10/20
la enseñanza del inglés LE / L2
Initial Proposal Due (D1) – Option 2 --------- 31/10/20
Advance 1 Due – Option 1 --------- 31/10/20

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 TEFL programme presentation

Advanced Part
Official due Date
Term Subjects Tutorials Assignment /
Tests Due
Practicum (All students) --------- ---------
Computer Assisted Language Learning /
Tecnología educativa en el aprendizaje de 01/11/20 – 04/12/20 06/12/20
lenguas
ADVANCED
Teaching English Through Translation / La
PART 07/12/20 – 22/12/20
enseñanza del inglés a través de la 24/01/21
TERM 5 08/01/21 – 22/01/21
traducción
November
2020 – Advance 2 Due – Option 1 --------- 15/01/21
February 2021
Learning Strategies / Estrategias de
25/01/21 – 26/02/21 28/02/21
aprendizaje de lenguas
Final Project Due – Option 1 --------- 28/02/21
Advance 1 Due – Option 2 --------- 28/02/21
ADVANCED Advance 2 Due – Option 2 --------- 31/05/21
PART
TERM 6
Final Project Due – Option 2 --------- 15/07/21

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March – July
2021

As shown in the calendar above, the academic calendar is organized into semesters during which
the tutorials of three or four subjects take place. Tutorials are academic periods called 'tutorials'
that have a length of a month or a month and a half. During the tutorships of a subject, the student
must focus on working with the contents, asking the teacher for doubts or other issues and
participating in the academic activities organized in the Subject Forum. At the end of the tutorship
period, the student must submit the corresponding assignment and/or exam.

The student should carry out two types of academic activities during his or her learning process:

• Group activities:
 Debates on current issues from challenging questions.
 Practical case study and discussion.
 Task solving activities.
 Reflective and analytical activities.
 Material design activities.
 Preparation of assignments.
• Individual activities:
 Subject content and literature reading.
 Reflective and self-evaluated tasks.
 Preparation of assignments and exams.
 Raising questions to the teacher.

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 Before tutorials of a subject, it is strongly recommended that students:

• Read carefully the informative messages sent by the teacher to the Subject Forum.
• Access the space which focuses only on the subject in order to get used to the content,
mandatory readings, available resources (e.g. academic videos) and assessment tasks.

2.3. THE FINAL PROJECT PHASE

Obviously, this phase only takes place for courses in the programme in which a Final Project must
be carried out by the students.

Broadly speaking, the Final Project consists of choosing a topic in which you are interested and
doing a monographic project on it. In Universidad Europea del Atlántico the Final Project will always
be practical and classroom oriented. However, in the other universities it can be classroom,
research oriented, or a combination of both orientations.

During the process, in different deadlines established in the academic calendar, students must
hand in different documents to be reviewed by the Final Project Director. This phase starts before
the teaching stage is finished, although it is considered a different stage during the learning
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process. As it can be seen in the previous calendar, the final project elaboration process can be
started on two different dates. Students who have chosen the first option and submitted advances
on the dates established in the calendar may complete their studies in a shorter space of time.

For more information, see the “Final Project” icon, and within it, the FP regulations (You must click
over the phrase FINAL PROJECT GUIDELINES). You should also review the date in the academic
calendar in which to submit the initial proposal, its advance documents and its final submission of
the group in which you belong to.

Each student must know which university will grant their degree so as to follow the specified
standards.

2.3.1. General Information for the preparation of the Final Project (FP)

• The student must have passed more than 50% of the subjects in the academic programme
(including Observation and research/ Práctica reflexiva y desarrollo professional) to start
doing the Final Project.
• A month before submitting the Initial Proposal, the academic secretary of Final Projects will
provide all necessary information about the FP deliveries in the “Group Forum”; the student
should be mindful of this message so that they may consult any questions that they may
have directly with the FPs secretary of the area.
• The student should deliver the Initial Proposal, its advance documents and the definitive
version on the date established in the academic calendar for the group in which they study in
(he/she may do it on two different dates). If the definitive version is submitted late, the
student will have to pay for an extension in order to finish the programme.

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• The FP directors have a maximum of 20 working days (4 weeks) to produce the

corresponding feedback. Be aware that the established dates on the academic calendar,
between the submission of one advance and the next, the time for feedback is taken into
account with which the FP director has at his/her disposition. They do this on the order in
which they receive the documents.
• D1 - Initial Proposal (IP) (4th quarter-semester). The FP director will review the document and
will grade it as a Pass or No pass. In the case of a Pass, the student will be able to advance
to Advance 1. On the contrary, the student should correct the Initial Proposal and submit it
again the number of times necessary until it is approved by the director.
• Preparation and submission of Advance 1 (4th/5th quarter-semester). Once the student has
received the green light (Pass) for the IP-D1 from the FP director, he/she may prepare the
Advance 1 following the guidelines indicated by the director.
• Preparation and submission of Advance 2 (5th/6th quarter-semester). Once the Advance 1
is approved by the FP director, the student should begin Advance 2. This one should include
all of the chapters (the complete work) of the FP developed in its entirety.
• Preparation of the definitive version (5th/6th quarter-semester). Once Advance 2 is
approved, the student should prepare the definitive version of the FP, careful of the formal
structure demanded by the university that bestows the academic program and based on the

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template indicated by the FP director. This submission should be done by the date indicated
in the calendar “Final Project Due”.
• The student should hand in the final FP version with the approval of the director and must be
suitable to be graded through the PANAL, following the guidelines specified in the
Regulations.

2.3.2. Functions of the FP director

The following details the functions of the FP director:

• Evaluate the relevance of the topics proposed by the student for the academic program in
which they are enrolled.
• Review progresses of the FP submitted by the student and make sure that they comply with
the established requirements in form and content.
• Make the necessary indications and guidelines so that the FP complies with the minimum
academic standards for the required quality of the program.
• Participate in the board that evaluates the FP.

None functions of the FP director are:

• Selecting the topic that the student will develop for the FP.
• Carry out bibliographic searches for the student's work. The student might consult the
Director if they have bibliographic references aligned with the topic in which their FP bases
on.

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 • Explain methodological procedures to carry out field studies, statistical analysis and
interpreting the results.
• Make orthographic corrections, of writing or of format from the documents submitted by the
student.
• Send the student, in case of their being plagiarism, a notice of the plagiarized content in the
FP advance documents or the final document. In case the FP director detects at least two
contents completely or partially copied in literal form, excluding directly and correctly cited
references, the work's review will be suspended with the goal that the student rectifies said
deficiencies.

Plagiarism will be considered a direct motive for the student's suspension. If said situation were to
happen, the student must create a new proposal with a different topic, which means to begin a
new FP.

2.4. ASSESSMENT

2.4.1. Assessment in the subjects

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The form in which each subject shall be evaluated will vary in function to its learning objectives; it
usually consists of a combination of test and a qualitative type activity (such as completing an
assignment, practice activities, etc.).

To obtain detailed information about the evaluation system for each subject, the student must
consult the document “Evaluation of the subject”, available in the “Evaluation” section of the
virtual classroom of the subject. This describes the evaluation activities that make up each one of
the calls and the way in which they must be delivered through the CV; the weighting that each
activity has in the final grade; the criteria and the headings that are used for its qualification; the
minimum approval grade; and in the case of not failing the subject, the resit process.

Taking into account that there are many possible tools for evaluation, the student should pay
careful attention to any instructions posted in the Subject Forum by the teacher.

2.4.1.1. Assessment tasks: submission and extensions

Assignments and tests must be sent in by the date indicated in the academic calendar.
Nevertheless, if a student is not able to send them on the date specified, he/she must contact the
corresponding teacher immediately. The teacher will concede him/her an extension of 10 days (if
the reasons for the delay are acceptable). In the final analysis, the tutor has the last word in these
cases. All petitions asking for extensions and late submissions must be made BEFORE the
deadline. Any petitions received after the deadline may not be granted.

If a student cannot submit the assessment tasks within the extension period, he/ she will have to
do them the following semester, taking into account the date in which the access for the following
group will be open (please see the academic calendar).

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Nevertheless, please note that if, for any reason, you receive the subject materials later than on
the specified date, this does not alter your obligation to send in the relevant work on the original
dates specified in the academic calendar, given that up to the date of receipt a student can consult
the relevant material corresponding to the particular subject on the Virtual Campus.

If a student, for whatever circumstances, cannot continue to study on the course within the norms
laid down or if he/she has not been able to do the work over a period of time, he/she would need
to get into contact with the Academic Secretary. Once the case has been studied by this
department, the most adequate solution will be offered.

2.4.1.2. Qualifications, calls and revisions

All the subjects are evaluated on the Virtual Campus (VC) following a scale ranging from 0 to 10
and 7/10 being the minimum passing grade. The final grade of the subject is derived from the
weighted average of the evaluation activities that comprise it and this can be a maximum of 10/
10. The final grade of the subjects are published in the student's academic record available at the
PANAL. The training for English professors as an FL makes up part of an inter-university program,
offered by several universities. Once the student enrolls in the program, they can choose the
university through which they will obtain their degree. If the university follows a different evaluation

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scale, the grade obtained in the VC is adapted to the university's scale through an internal
conversion and it is reflected on the students record (PANAL). Meaning, for example, if the student
obtains a 7/10 in the VC and they have chosen a university in which the passing grade is 8/10, in
the student's record it will appear as 8/10.

Group projects and activities done individually without the professor's approval will be evaluated
with a grade of 0/10. One of the transversal skills developed in the master's program is to know
how to work in groups and, thus, all students must comply with the established academic
requirements.

Furthermore, once the student has been evaluated and has obtained a passing qualification, they
will not be able to re-submit the tests to obtain a better grade.

The student will have three opportunities to pass the course (Ordinary call, Resit 1 and Resit 2).
The ordinary call is activated by default in the section “Evaluation” of the subject. The other two are
only activated if the student has not passed the subject in the previous call. Resit activities must
be presented the following semester on the date in which the subject is again active for the group
that follows the student's.

I. Ordinary call

In the ordinary call of each subject, two evaluation instruments are applied, among which are
listed below: assignment, practical activities, portfolio and exam (development or multiple choice).
The choice varies depending on the learning outcomes whose achievement is to be evaluated.

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 II. Resits 1 and 2

If the student receives a grade below 7/10 in the course, this is considered as failing the course. In
this case, the next quarter the student should complete the evaluation activities of the Resit 1 call,
available in the “Evaluation” space of the subject.

On the other hand, if the student receives a grade below 7/10 in the Resit 1 call of the subject, this
is considered as failing the course. In this case, the next quarter the student should complete the
evaluation activities of the Resit 2 call, available in the “Evaluation” space of the subject.

In both Resit calls, the same evaluation instruments as in the ordinary call will apply, with the same
percentages.

To find the group calendar the student should click on the “Academic calendars” icon, and search
for their group calendar.

Attention: In the case of a student failing a course, regardless of it being on the official due date of
his/her group or in a resit call, the student must submit the activities on the following quarter,
when the access opens again for the following group.
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2.4.1.3. Dissatisfaction with grades obtained

On the other hand, in the case of not agreeing with the grade obtained in a course, the student can
request its revision during the next seven days after receiving the grade (displayed on the Virtual
Campus). Once this deadline has passed, revisions cannot be requested. To request one, the
student should follow the following procedures:

1. Firstly, they should contact the professor of the course through the “Messages” tool and
request them to revise again the assignment or grade obtained in the course. In the same
message they should state the motives of why they disagree with the grade obtained and
justify their plea.
The professor will revise the activity (be it a test, assignment or anything else) having in
mind the arguments stated by the student and will send via campus message (internal
mail) the response to the request. In the case of there being a change in the grade, the
professor needs to notify the Academic Secretary's office of that area so that the student's
record can be updated. The professor will have a maximum of 15 days to make the revision
and reply to the student.
2. If after exchanging views with the professor, the student is still unsatisfied with the grade,
the student can request a new revision by a committee for academic coordination.
Similarly, in this message they should state their motives as to why they are still unsatisfied
with their grade and justify their plea. The decision will be issued within a maximum period
of one month.

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2.4.1.4. Requirements and tips for assignments

Depending on the subject, the assignment and other academic tasks will be of a practical or an
expositive-argumentative nature. By doing this, the student will have to demonstrate that he/ she
masters the content in the mandatory readings of the subject, which are available in the icon
“Subject materials”.

Communication is a valuable skill that a student can demonstrate through the way he / she
presents his/her assignments. Certain formal requirements are necessary in them, and the
guidance below outlines these step by step:

Content and structure

While each assignment draws on themes, issues and debates from particular subjects included in
the course materials, a student can obviously draw on material either from elsewhere in the course
or any wider reading he / she may have done or relevant experience he / she may have had.
Students will be expected to develop the course material with their own contribution. At the very
least, this means avoiding regurgitation of the course material and, in particular, quotation of
passages at length. The teachers marking assignments will have read the course materials, so

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students can make a point by simple reference and summary.

 Understand and answer the question. If a question has several key phrases, students must
make sure that their answer deals with all of them. Highlighting key phrases in the question
is a useful technique to help students make sure they fully answer the question. Look
particularly at important words like “critically explore”, or “compare and contrast”.
Students should take care that they see phrases like “either/or” so that they do not provide
more information than the answer requires.
 Structure your assignment. Usually the best assignments give, in the opening paragraph,
an outline of the intentions of the answer, and finish with a summary and conclusion.
However, the introduction should not be longer than necessary to set out student's
intentions. There is no need to stick strictly to essay format. Student's answers can include
subheadings, which help to set the structure for the assignment. At certain points students
may find it more economic to use devices such as lists rather than discursive continuous
prose.
We recommend students to make sure there is a logical flow to the arguments that they
develop. This may mean carefully selecting a limited number of arguments supported by
appropriate examples, rather than trying to regurgitate the entire contents of a subject.
 Referencing. When referencing to books, articles, course materials, etc. in assignments, it
is advisable to follow the format to be found in the course materials. It is important that the
teacher marking the assignment can find the argument or quotation to which the student
refers.
Below is an example of correct referencing, taken from an article entitled “Lesson art and
design” by Scott Thornbury, ELT Journal 53/1:4-11.

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 It has been shown that, when planning, experienced teachers draw on mental
schemata, or mental scripts (Shavelson and Stern 1981), and that these provide a kind
of template on which to map lower-order planning decisions. These mental scripts are
often conceived in visual terms as lesson images. Westerman (1991:298), quotes one
experienced teacher as saying, when asked to describe his planning decisions: “I have a
vision. I sort of know exactly how it's going to go. I've imagined it will happen”.
In the above extract, previous research into an area (lesson scripts) is summarized in
Thornbury's own words, but reference is made to the original authors of this research, along
with the year of the work (Shavelson and Stern 1981). When a direct quotation from
another work appears, as in the teacher's own words at the end of the extract above, the
name of the author, the year and the exact page number appear in the reference. Both of
these works (the one by Shavelson and Stern, and the one by Westerman), would then need
to appear in the Bibliography of the assignment.
 Plagiarism. Plagiarism is copying another's work without stating the source from where it is
taken.
This is heavily penalized on the course, and could result in failing an assignment or being
expelled from the course.
For this reason, it is very important to include correct referencing in assignments, following
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the conventions outlined in the paragraph above.

 Style. Assignments need to be written in a suitable academic style of English, and they
should be both coherent and cohesive: teachers should easily be able to understand it.
Correct spelling is expected; students can easily check their spelling by running a simple
Spell Check program once the assignment has been written.

Presentation

The assignments' page limit changes depending on the subject and the kind of assignment that
must be done. In any case, this information will be available in the “Evaluation” section (see each
subject in the Virtual Campus).

Also, the assignment must be labeled carefully (see information available in the “Evaluation”
section) and fulfill the following conditions:

• Type Font: Arial.

• Font size: 11.
• Line spacing: 1.5.
• Alignment: Left- and right-justified.

Students need to make sure that their assignments conform to the above mentioned requisites.
Assignments that are too short (i.e. do not reach the lower page limit) will be penalized, while
assignments that are too long (i.e. go beyond the upper page limit) will only be graded up to the
page limit provided in the table above.

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2.4.1.5. Assessment criteria and qualification of subjective activities

The criteria used to assess the subjective instruments of the subject can be found in the “Subject
Evaluation” document (available in the “Evaluation” space of the subject).

It is very important that the student keep the criteria in mind in order to complete correctly the
evaluation activities.

Once the assignment has been assessed, the student will be sent detailed comments through the
VC.

From the official date of submittal, teachers will have one month in which to assess the
assignments.

Evaluation scale

As previously stated, subjects are graded according to a scale of 0 to 10, 7/10 being the minimum
passing grade.

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In some subjects it is mandatory for the students to do group work activities. Only the following can
do the work individually:

• Students that have tried to make a group but were not able and there isn't enough time to
look for other partners.
• Students that send the appropriate justification to the professor.

If a student hands in an assignment individually without notifying the professor, a grade of 0/10
will directly be obtained.

The ability to work in groups is one of the transversal skills that are developed and worked on in the
program, thus, it is important for the students to be able to understand its importance from the
start.

2.4.1.6. Practicum assessment

The evaluation of the internship is carried out in the following way:

• The final evaluation report of the internship issued by the company or institution through its
tutor: 30% of the final grade.
• The internship report prepared by the student and evaluated by the university's practicum
tutor: 70% of the final grade.

The student also has three opportunities to overcome the practicum: the ordinary call, Resit 1 and
Resit 2.

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 For more information on the evaluation criteria, consult the information available in the Supervised
Face-to-face Internship icon (in the fifth quarter of the virtual campus).

2.4.1.7. Assessment criteria for Final Project (FP)

The usual assessment criteria are also applied to the Final Project. However, particular emphasis
will be placed on the criterion of reflection and critical thinking, as well as on the ability to apply the
necessary skills and knowledge to carry out the type of Final Project selected.

Here are assessment criteria:

• Correct, accurate, complete, coherent, logical content.

• Maturity and mastery of the subjects which have been done during the course.
• Depth of analysis, synthesis, evaluation, interpretation and/ or resolution of the chosen
topic.
• Relevance of the topic to contemporary, global, technological reality.
• Search, analysis, verification, information processing ability.
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• Proper, updated literature management.

• Creative, critical contribution to the problem, situation or settings which are being analysed.
• Concrete, explicit, well organized presentation of information (additional information must
be included in the appendices).
• Appropriate language and presentation of information.
• Fulfilment of the required academic standards regarding the Final Project content
development.

The Final Project will also be assessed on a numerical scale of 0-10:

• Students will pass the Project if they get a mark between 7 and 10.
• Students will fail the Final Project if the mark they get is below 7. The document will be
returned to students so that they can review it following the teacher's indications. Then
students will have to resubmit the reviewed Final Project to their Director so that it can be
reassessed.

The student must make an oral defense of the FP in the conditions indicated by the FP Director.
The defense can be done by videoconference or in person and this accounts 20% of the final
grade.

It may occur that the Final Project is refused because some professional or ethical code has been
violated. Then the academic committee will evaluate whether the student has to be expelled from
the program. If the committee decides that he or she can continue, the student will have to submit
another Initial Proposal and begin the process of the Final Project again.

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2.4.2. Reflective tasks

These tasks are also available in the “Evaluation” section (see each subject in the VC). They do not
have a numerical grade and they are an optional component of the course. However, we would like
to stress the important pedagogic value that is attached to them in that they allow you to progress
and assimilate the issues introduced in the course material in an orderly and reflective manner.

The main aim of these tasks is thus to help students in the understanding of the basic concepts
and topics that are dealt with in the subjects, while reflecting on these in relation to their own
teaching experience and context. The tasks should be answered briefly and succinctly, although
there will be tasks which require slightly shorter (or slightly longer) answers.

3. STUDY TIPS

Research into motivation and learning strategies has shown that successful learners tend to have
well-developed resource management strategies, such as setting aside specific regular times for
study, studying in an appropriate place, and developing general study plans to help them cope with

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workloads. These strategies are even more important when one is learning by distance mode.
Strategies, which students on previous courses have developed, and which have been found to be
very helpful, include:

• Work management strategies:

 Drawing up a timetable at the beginning of the term in order to distribute the workload
evenly.
 Putting this timetable up near the desk and ticking off work as it is done.
 Devising a way to approach the materials, which you find helpful, and following it (e.g. the
suggested procedure above).
 Working at regular scheduled times.
 Trying always to work in the same place, free from distractions.
 Not panicking when falling behind the work schedule, but ensuring that time is put aside
to catch up again.
 Ensuring regular free time for oneself and/or family.
• Support strategies:
 Finding colleagues who are interested in the same issues and talking over aspects and
questions, which you are learning on the course.
 Making contact with peers on the course, by telephone and/or e-mail and/or the Virtual
Campus where you can contact peers and tutors via the VC mail, the subject forum and
the on-line chat.
 Setting up study groups, who meet regularly (e.g. once/twice a month) with peers. This
can also be done via the Virtual Campus.

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  All queries and doubts should be addressed to your course tutors and/or the course co-
ordinator.
• Metacognitive strategies:
 Using study techniques, which work for you (e.g. highlighting the materials while you read;
taking notes...).
 Evaluating and managing your learning during the course (e.g. by taking on board
feedback on assignments in subsequent assignments, attending tutorials...).
 Breaking down questions into manageable parts in order to ensure that you really know
what the question is asking.

4. THE PANAL AND THE VIRTUAL CAMPUS (VC)

The student interacts mainly through two platforms: the PANAL and the Virtual Campus. It is
important that the student familiarize himself/ herself with these two words from the beginning of
the course.
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PANAL is the abbreviation for “Punto de Acceso Normalizado a Aplicaciones e-Learning” (Standard
Access Point to e-Learning Applications) and the gateway to the Virtual Campus for the program (or
programs) the student is enrolled in. In this page the student has to enter his/ her access keys in
order to see his/ her academic record and the icon through which he/ she can access the Virtual
Campus (and other resources). Once the student has entered his/ her access keys, the following
page should appear:

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Virtual Campus (VC) is the environment through which the academic program is developed
(including the communication between teachers and students). Below you will find an example of
the Virtual Campus home page:

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5. FORMS OF COMMUNICATION
This program has two Secretary Offices at its disposal. The student should understand each of
their roles so as to know where to address their concerns if need be, otherwise, their request may
be denied. To find locate them, you must refer to the “Contact” section in the PANAL and select the
area you wish to direct yourself.

a) The Academic Secretary's Office on Teacher's Education: is the academic secretary for the
area, answering questions on the academic nature of the program development itself, the
tutors and the master final project (FP). Does not address administrative issues related to
the academic secretary office of the regional headquarters. Questions will be answered in
24 and 72 hours approximately. Does not offer services during the weekends or during
holidays.
b) Important note for the scholarship holder or Academic Secretary of the regional office: it is
the regional office who is responsible for addressing non- academic issues where the
enrollment took place, such as: delivery of registration documents, access to the study
platform or the virtual campus, help with the study calendar, textbooks, certificates,
financial issues, reincorporation processes or diploma extension processes and any other
administrative circumstance. Does not offer services during the weekends or during
holidays.
c) Technical Support: Resolves problems related to the Campus. Is contacted through the
technical support form found within the Campus. Provides services on the proper
functioning of the Campus from the technical aspect perspective. Does not offer services
during the weekends or during holidays.

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