With her love of French and Irish and her dream of being a teacher, the BEd in Languages was the perfect fit for Deirdre Croghan, and the degree offers other options beyond teaching. 

For Deirdre Croghan, teaching is a real family tradition. “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember, she says. “My mum is a teacher, and my granny was a teacher, and my uncle is a teacher. So it's definitely in the blood.”

In school, she also loved languages and so when it came to CAO choices, DCU’s Bachelor of Education in  Gaeilge and French, German or Spanish seemed to tick all the right boxes. “I said, that sounds like something I'd love.”

Deirdre, from Ballymoe, Co Galway, had been at several different University open days, but at DCU she “just got a really nice feeling” meeting with students and talking to lecturers. The family connection was also a positive because the St Patrick’s campus was where her mother graduated as a primary school teacher and “she loved it as well.”

The course combines teacher education with Gaeilge and one other language, in Deirdre’s case French.  This combination meant there was “a lot to fit in” in four years. 

“I think the way the course is structured is brilliant,” says Deirdre, who says the small class sizes allowed for a nice atmosphere and lots of interaction with lecturers. 

In the first and second years, the focus is on theory and preparation, and then in third and fourth year, the students do school placements. At that point, Deirdre felt they were well prepared and had the skills needed to perform well in the classroom.

“You're not thrown in at the deep end at all. In the lectures, you're building up slowly and you're developing your skills.”

The 4th year placement was a vital part of preparation for the ‘real world’ of teaching. With 12 hours per week of teaching time, it is closer to the workload of a full-time teacher than other teacher training courses. During this period, the students got constructive feedback and support from tutors who visited their schools.

“It is high pressure, high reward, and looking back now, it is such good preparation for when you become a qualified teacher.”

One of the course highlights for Deirdre was her Erasmus semester, which she did at a university in Metz in northern France. Picking a smaller French city was a deliberate choice.

“We knew there probably wouldn’t be that many other English speakers there, and that was kind of the objective that we'd really have to muck in and speak French and be friends with natives.” 

“Looking back now I can see how much it improved my French when I was there, especially at the beginning.”

Deirdre now works as a French teacher at Scoil Mhuire, a post-primary school in Strokestown, Co Roscommon, and she’s found that the experience of living abroad still benefits her in the classroom.

“Even now, when I'm teaching I find myself bringing in a lot of the cultural stuff that I experienced in France only two years ago, and I can see the students with their eyes open wide, listening to me. They love that, the real lived experience of being in the country.”

In what was a busy four years, Deirdre also managed to fit in her work as a DCU student ambassador, which involved leading campus tours, contributing to Open Day talks and doing a podcast.

Deirdre says that chatting with prospective students was her favourite part of DCU Open Days. “It's so important to talk to a current student who has the lived experience. I liked to share my experience with the prospective students and give them tips and tricks that are actually really useful.”

For those considering the course, Deirdre points out that it opens more doors than teaching alone. “You do qualify with a degree in 2 languages as well, so that leaves you open to a lot of opportunities.” Options for graduates could include working in translation, or careers with the EU or other international agencies.

Reflecting on her time studying at DCU, Deirdre says the course was demanding but there was never a dull moment. “It was busy, but so worth it at the end.” 

DCU Prospectus - Bachelor of Education in Gaeilge with French, German or Spanish