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Alternative Certification for Teachers
Languages Other Than English- German (Grades EC-12)
Obtaining an alternative certification for languages other than English as a specialist in German for early childhood education through twelfth grade students will require general education courses and foundational skills in the German language including reading, writing and conversational skills. German is often thought to be one of the easier languages to learn because of the use of the English alphabet and the way much of the language is written exactly as it is pronounced in contrast to even the standard English language which has many silent sounds and varying uses and sounds of the same letters.
What is Needed for Earning an Alternative Teaching Certification in German
There are several eligibility requirements for an alternative certification as an educator in the German language for early childhood education through high school students. The teaching candidate should demonstrate the successful completion of coursework in general education topics such as English literature, science, history, social studies, mathematics and electives including educational psychology, speech communication and linguistics.
The majority of alternative certification programs will require an internship or student teaching opportunity in order to provide hands on experience as well as valuable exposure to the classroom setting for future educators. The ability to work side by side with an experienced teacher will help to develop skills that simply cannot be obtained from traditional coursework. While it is not necessary for certification, it can prove to be valuable if a foreign language teaching candidate has had the opportunity to be immersed in the native language and culture they have selected to teach. The ability to authentically reference conversational and cultural language experience improves the educator’s skills as well as possibly expands the students understanding during the learning process.
Teaching as a German Language Specialist
A foreign language teacher specializing in German will need to complete necessary coursework in educational teaching strategies and teaching methods as well as German language and cultural skills. As a foreign language teacher across a broad range of grades and ages, successful teachers will need to adequately develop lesson plans which address the right level of cognitive development for students.