In the process of professional development of future teachers, the Practicum becomes the ideal space for developing skills related to professional practice. In this sense, this course opcional is planned for students of the Master in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics with professional interests related to language teaching. It can serve as the first real contact with the profession.

The goal of the practicum is that students gain experience in planning, teaching and assessment of adults learning a foreign language. The aim is, on the one hand, to confront students with role models of different languages in the classroom; and, on the other hand, to promote the relation  between theoretical reflections with the real practice. Thus, the tasks of this course are observation, active participation in the life of the school and reflection on professional practice and as a language teacher.

The Practicum implies a total of 250 hours of student dedication. Out of these hours, a minimum of 200 hours have to be spent in a training center, and the rest on preparation, commuting and writing the report. The dedication to the Practicum must be compatible with the student dedication to studies.

In relation to the training center, the Agreement between the UPF and the Departament d'Ensenyament of 29.09.2013 formalizes the link between the professional and the training centers of the Departament d'Ensenyament. During the course 2015-2016, the recognized training center that has formalized this type of practicum is the Escola Oficial d'Idiomes de Barcelona-Drassanes (official Language School of Barcelona-Drassanes). Starting from next academic year 2016-2017, and under the agreement mentioned, this training center will offer a maximum of four seats (depending on the availability of the apartments) for students of the Master in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics.

The competences that students need to develop during the practicum are:

• Critically analyze their own representations about what adults foreign language learning and teaching is.
• Observe and critically analyze distinct and real teaching practices for adult foreign language learning and teaching.
• Identify through observing the key elements for a good adults foreign language teaching and learning.
• Relate the theoretical content with teaching practice from observation and intervention work in real classrooms.
• Know and apply the appropriate curriculum to the Escoles Oficials d'Idiomes.
• Design teaching/learning activities to the characteristics of the context of training in adults.
• Know how to develop tasks of tutoring and mentoring for students.
• Develop a reflective capacity apply the appropriate strategies when making methodological decisions.

During the period of the Practicum, the Master students will be tutored by the teachers of the Escola Oficial d'Idiomes (forming center of the Departament d'Ensenyament de la Generalitat de Catalunya), in their role as practices tutors.

The tasks that students will carry out in this training center are:

• Observation of different languages ​​and at different levels of the Common European Framework of reference for language courses.
• Classroom activities planning with the pertinent course tutor.
• Teaching classes (partial or total) with the help of the tutor.
• Continued reflection teaching meetings with the tutor.
• Participation in department meetings and other teacher's meetings planned at the school.
• Participation in internal training school meetings.
• Meetings with the head of studies and teaching coordination to carry out a continuous assessment of the practice period.