Certificates in University Language Teaching

CTE and the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies jointly offer the Certificate in University Language Teaching (CULT) and the Fundamentals of University Language Teaching (FULT). These certificate programs are designed to meet the needs of graduate students who teach courses in Modern Languages and Classics.

Certificate in University Language Teaching

The Certificate in University Language Teaching is tailored to language instruction and is open to all currently enrolled Waterloo doctoral students in languages. The program is of no cost to participants, and CULT courses are recorded on participants' official transcripts.

How it works

The CULT program is completed in three consecutive terms, and must be completed by the end of graduate studies.

The CULT program is comprised of three Graduate Studies (GS) courses.

Course	Course Requirements
GS 901: Preparing for University Teaching	Completion of a series of workshops in language teaching and learning
GS 902: Preparing for an Academic Career	Completion of a Research Paper, a Research Paper Presentation, and a Teaching Dossier
GS 903: Teaching Practicum	Completion of one microteaching session and two classroom teaching observations

Upon completion of the program, participants:

receive a Graduate Certificate in University Language Teaching issued by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
receive a citation in the "degrees" section of their university transcripts

Program goals

The overall goal of the CULT program is to provide participants with the necessary background knowledge in language instruction and pedagogy, combined with a broad range of ideas for practical application in the classroom.

By the end of the program, participants will:

develop specific language teaching skills
discuss and share experiences with language teaching methods and practices
reflect on decisions and actions as teachers
locate, summarize and use research on teaching and learning as it applies to language instruction
prepare a teaching dossier that articulates their approach to language teaching

Fundamentals of University Language Teaching

The Fundamentals of University Language Teaching is tailored to language instruction and is open to all currently enrolled Waterloo Masters students in languages and Pedagogische Austauschdienst (PADs). The program is of no cost to participants.

How it works

The program is completed over two consecutive terms, in the Fall and Winter term, and must be completed by the end of graduate studies.

Component	Component Description and Links	Instructors
Workshops	Attend teaching workshops on language teaching (Fall and Winter terms)	Dr. Schmenk and guest instructors
Microteaching sessions	Participate in three microteaching sessions to deliver mini lessons to peers and receive feedback on teaching (Fall and Winter terms)	CTE staff

Upon completion of the program, participants:

receive a Certificate of Completion issued by the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
receive a Milestone on their university transcript

Program goals

By the end of the program, participants will:

develop specific language teaching skills for in-class and online learning environments
discuss and share experiences with language teaching methods and practices
develop learner-centered lesson plans that are designed to meet specific learning outcomes
increase their confidence and self-awareness as university language teachers