Information about the Oral Exam

The exam will take 30 minutes and it is divided into three parts:

1) topic of your choice A,

2) topic of your choice B,

3) TEFL basics.

The exam takes place at the end of each term (in February and July). You need to register for the exam via the VC TEFL Oral Exam once you have completed the Vertiefungsmodul (i.e., that you have taken part in both seminars even if you do not have your final grade yet).

You can register for the exam once you have completed your Vertiefungsmodul. This means that you should have participated in both seminars. Even if you have not received your final grade, you can still register for the oral exam. You do not need to wait another term.

Registration takes place through the VC: Oral Exam TEFL under the section Exam Registration.

You should ideally choose topics from seminars (Aufbaumodule/Vertiefungsmodule) you attended (e.g. Digital Media, Texts and Diversity, Songs in ELT, Teaching Writing, Heterogeneity etc.). You may also slightly modify the focus depending on your areas of interest. If you are unsure about your choices, please consult your examiner in an office hour specifically for the oral exam (TBA).

This part will be about the key topics of TEFL (e.g. SLA, skills/competences, literature, media, digital competence, intercultural/global learning etc.). Please go through your materials (notes, texts) from your introductory course (Basismodul TEFL) and revise relevant content. Introductory books and additional journal articles will also be useful to gain an overview of basic as well as some more recent discussions (see TEFL Reading List online).

The topics from the introductory course are:

1. Aspects of TEFL (key aspects, terminology, short history, methods, curriculum & textbooks)
2. Language acquisition
3. Learners (learning strategies, heterogeneity in the EFL classroom, scaffolding etc.)
4. Vocabulary + grammar
5. Skills & competences: receptive + productive skills
6. Inter- and transcultural learning
7. Media
8. Texts & literature
9. Assessment
10. Teaching English today (lesson planning, current issues, research projects)
11. Portfolio

If some of these topics were not covered in your introductory course, you will need to review them as they are essential for you as a future teacher.

Yes, we suggest completing the oral exam in English.

Your examiner(s) will start with general questions related to TEFL/the topics of your choice (e.g. Why is X important for ELT?) but you should also be prepared to answer some more specific questions (e.g. What research evidence is there for X?; Define the term X and discuss practical implications.).

Yes. You should be able to relate important concepts, theories, frameworks or research findings to certain researchers and name these accordingly (first name and surname). In addition, you should be able to describe theoretical and research-based concepts in your own words and discuss their practical relevance for your specific school context.

Yes. Your examiners (two TEFL colleagues) will assess your achievements right after the exam, inform you about the grade, and offer some feedback.

Yes. You must upload a document on the VC for your examiners with the following information: your name, two topics in focus, an overview of central issues for each topic (note-form), and a list of readings for each topic (with a minimum of six TEFL-based references for each topic). You will not receive feedback on this; it merely serves to provide your examiner with a starting point to know which aspects you focused on. Please check the TEFL Reading List on the website to find suitable literature.

This depends on your course of studies. If you study Wirtschaftspädagogik or BWLmit Schwerpunkt/Doppelwahlpflichtfach Englisch you have to take the fachdidaktische Übung as part of your Vertiefungsmodul. Here, the focus is not on the oral exam, but on the basic aspects of TEFL in preparation for the state exam. This will be helpful for your oral exam as well.

The potential examiners are members of the TEFL Department; usually colleagues that have held thematic seminars. You can request your first examiner when registering via the VC and we will try to consider your preferences.

The following examiners are currently available as first examiners:

• Katrin Bauer
• Andreas Müller
• Heidi Schmitt
• Jr.-Prof. Dr. Theresa Summer