Formación Profesional Pedagogy

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 Formación Profesional (FP) is the branch of the Spanish education system that offers vocational training, certificates, and degrees for those 16 years of age or older. Students who might not go on to college, universidad, may either leave secondary school (ESO) to enter the labor force at the end of 4º de ESO or may continue their schooling in vocational or trade schools known as FP. 

To complete FP programs, students must fulfill both coursework and internship requirements. Classes are held in public and private centers and are available to a wide range of students. Some students begin vocational training as teenagers, while others are mature adults returning to school after years in the workforce. Some hope to attend university after vocational training, while others prefer to (re)enter the workforce. Many students believe studying English will increase their employability as members of the Spanish or global economy. However, English can be a challenging subject for students who are returning to school or studying English in alternating years (a quirk of FP curricula). Helping these students learn practical English for the workforce can be an energizing and rewarding project for TAs in vocational centers.

In FP, students take classes (ciclos) that will certify them for a particular career (Tourism, Hair Styling, Technology, Woodwork, Mechanics etc.) Teaching FP comes with its own challenges, as you will be working with students who are often considered the ‘less motivated’ group, teaching in subjects other than English, and will often have students significantly older than you. That being said, FP is sure to be a very enriching teaching experience as you are helping your students with their immediate careers, can learn first hand about industries and career opportunities in Spain / your host region, and might relate to your students more personally since you’re closer in age.

Classroom Culture

Vocational training involves both classroom and practicum hours. In regard to their schedules, TAs should also be aware that FP centers offer classes in the morning, late afternoon, and evening (Spaniards tend to eat a later dinner, so a final class ending around 22:00 is not unreasonable), and some of these afternoon and evening hours may be included in your schedule. The first few weeks of meeting your FP students are vital in creating a positive classroom environment in which these adult students feel comfortable making language mistakes and engaging in open activities and conversations with one another. Unlike ESO students, FP students may work full-time jobs and be enrolled in classes around their work schedules. It is important to be accommodating while motivating and encouraging them in their language development. 

FP may be an adult education, but it still offers day and overnight trips to familiarize students with Spanish industries and tourist destinations (tourism is an FP degree). The school may invite interested TAs to accompany students on these trips. If asked to attend these trips, remember to get permission from appropriate school personnel and notify other teachers if you will be missing their classes.

Especially in FP, you may experience a reduction in time with students in May and June when students who have passed their courses spend the school week in field placements. Nevertheless, you are still expected to be at your school(s) for your full hours until the official end date of their Fulbright grants. Teachers will also continue working in the schools during June and they may ask for help with alternative tasks, and you should volunteer to help if not asked directly. Possible tasks include: English conversation practice with staff, editing English teaching materials, and developing lesson plans with teachers.

lesson planning

Common English Language lesson plan topics for FP students may include: 

  • Personal introductions
  • How to get around a new town/city
  • Submitting work applications
  • Job interviewing tips
  • General explanations (i.e. landscape, surroundings, foods, locations, etc).
  • Resume and cover letter support
  • Talking to strangers
  • Emergency situations (i.e. hospitals, emergency rooms, doctors, police, etc.)
  • Current events

Remember that your teachers understand that you might not have extensive background in the subjects you are teaching! Open clear lines of communication up front, don’t be afraid to ask for help, and remember your role is to help with English language more than anything else.

 
Example of a lesson plan in FP

When creating lesson plans for FP classrooms, it is important to keep in mind the essentials of practical and directly usable English language activities the students will be encountering in their professional fields. For instance, if you’re working in a Tourism unit, you could do a lesson on restaurant vocabulary. This Google Presentation is a great example of types of words you could teach your students in that lesson. While doing the presentation, you can ask the students to talk about their experiences in restaurants, gauge which words they already know, and have them brainstorm additional words that might be useful. Following the vocab, you could break students into pairs and use this Speaking Exercise, so that everyone is participating, rather than just a couple of outgoing students answering everything.

Basic steps for creating a lesson plan:
  • Objectives: there should be a clear objective stating what the students will be learning that day.
  • Warm-up: an introductory activity to gauge students current knowledge of the material for the day.
  • Instruction: the main material/information of the lesson.
  • Group Activity: this will be the bulk of your lesson and should feature a variety of modalities (listening, speaking, reading, writing). You could incorporate videos, games, group work, or debates among students. It is very important for TAs to provide lots of verbal practice time for these adult students!
  • Individual Activity: a short individual activity that ensures each student has time to practice the material of the day, such as a written reflection.
  • Assessment: Your last step in the lesson should be some type of assessment- and no not necessarily an exam/test. This can be a Kahoot to see what students remember, a writing sample, or any creative way to gauge student retention and help shape what to focus on in the next class.

FP teaching Helpful Links

Remember! For more in-depth information about any of these topics, please refer to the full Pedagogy Guide. For University teaching resources sorted by category, please refer to the Fulbright TA Google Drive.