Higher Diploma of Arts in Spanish for Teachers

Expand your teaching expertise with Spanish.

Fully Funded by the Department of Education and Youth

Designed for registered teachers, this flexible programme develops your Spanish language proficiency, cultural understanding and pedagogical skills, helping you meet Teaching Council subject requirements while enhancing your career opportunities.

calender

24 Months

online learning

Blended Delivery

Credits

ECTS: 75 Credits

award by RCPI

Funded Tuition Fee

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NEXT START DATE:

October 2026 

CLOSING: CLOSING SEPTEMBER 14TH

Duration: 24 months (part-time)

ECTS: 75 credits

Accreditation: QQI Level 8
(Pending QQI validation)

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Why Study This Course?

What Will You Learn?

Who Will Support You? 

Entry Requirements

Payment
Terms

FAQ

Why Study This Higher Diploma of Arts in Spanish for Teachers?

This programme enables you to develop the language proficiency, cultural understanding and pedagogical expertise required to teach Spanish confidently at post-primary level in Ireland while continuing to work in your current teaching role. 

Build Confidence and Competence in Spanish Teaching

This programme will enable you to build the confidence and competence to bring Spanish language learning to life in the classroom. 

Designed for Post-Primary Teachers 

Develop the language proficiency, cultural understanding and pedagogical expertise required to teach Spanish confidently at post-primary level in Ireland while continuing to work in your current teaching role. 

Expand Your Teaching Subject Options

This programme is ideal for post-primary teachers who wish to expand their teaching subject options and respond to growing student demand for modern foreign languages. 

What You Will Learn

You will develop your Spanish language skills while exploring Spanish culture and texts. You will also learn effective language teaching methodologies and apply them in classroom practice. 

Blended Learning for Working Teachers 

Designed for working post-primary teachers, the programme offers a flexible blended learning format. Study through online learning, evening webinars and nine face-to-face Saturday sessions each academic year. 

Dr Melanie Ní Dhuinn

Dean of Education

‘This programme upskills post-primary teachers with pedagogical knowledge, confidence and practical skills to inspire the next generation of Spanish learners in Irish classrooms.’

What Will You Learn?  

Spanish Language for Post-Primary Teachers (B1)

Overview
Develop your Spanish from A2.2 to B1.2 level and build the confidence to communicate independently across everyday, academic and professional contexts. Through an interactive and communicative approach, you will strengthen your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills while developing greater accuracy, fluency and vocabulary. 

You will engage with authentic Spanish-language materials and explore the linguistic and cultural diversity of Spanish-speaking communities. The module also introduces strategies for independent language learning and reflection, creating a strong foundation for continued progression in Spanish. 

Module aim
Learners will develop independent use of Spanish at CEFR B1.2 level, strengthening their receptive, productive, interactive and mediation skills. They will build confidence, accuracy and fluency while developing greater intercultural awareness and the ability to take responsibility for their ongoing language development.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Use Spanish independently at B1.2 level across listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing and mediation  
  2. Understand spoken and written Spanish across familiar professional, academic and everyday contexts  
  3. Participate effectively in conversations, sustain interaction and express and justify opinions  
  4. Describe experiences, events, plans and aspirations coherently in spoken and written Spanish  
  5. Produce connected texts using appropriate vocabulary, grammatical structures and discourse conventions  
  6. Demonstrate awareness of sociolinguistic conventions and intercultural differences across Spanish-speaking contexts  
  7. Apply independent learning strategies and reflect critically on their own language development  

Memory, History and Cultural Representation in Spain

Overview
Explore how modern Spain has remembered, represented and debated its complex twentieth-century history. This module examines key historical periods, including the Spanish Civil War, the Franco dictatorship and Spain’s transition to democracy, through literature, film, art and other cultural forms. 

You will consider how writers, filmmakers and artists have engaged with themes such as repression, trauma, forgetting and remembrance, while examining the relationship between personal, collective and cultural memory. 

Module aim
Learners will develop a critical understanding of democratic memory and cultural representation in modern Spain. They will explore how literature, film and visual culture interpret contested histories and use theoretical approaches from memory and cultural studies to analyse the relationship between history, identity and representation. 

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of key historical periods in twentieth-century Spain, including the Civil War, Francoism and the transition to democracy  
  2. Apply theoretical approaches from memory studies to literary, filmic and visual texts  
  3. Critically evaluate representations of repression, trauma, forgetting and remembrance  
  4. Analyse the ethical and political implications of representing contested historical experiences  
  5. Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments about cultural memory and historical representation  
  6. Reflect critically on relationships between personal, collective and institutional memory  

Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment: Junior Cycle Spanish

Overview
Develop the pedagogical knowledge and practical skills required to teach Spanish effectively at Junior Cycle. You will explore the Junior Cycle Modern Foreign Languages specification alongside national curriculum and policy documents, while examining evidence-informed approaches to language teaching, learning and assessment. 

The module places particular emphasis on inclusive, learner-centred practice. You will design and critique lessons, assessments, resources and classroom activities while exploring Universal Design for Learning (UDL), digital technologies, active learning, literacy, intercultural education and global citizenship. 

Module aim
Learners will develop the pedagogical and curriculum expertise required to plan, teach and assess Junior Cycle Spanish effectively. They will critically engage with evidence-informed language teaching approaches and design inclusive learning experiences that support participation, motivation and achievement in diverse post-primary classrooms.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an informed understanding of the Junior Cycle MFL specification and relevant curriculum and policy documents  
  2. Apply theories of second-language acquisition and language pedagogy to Junior Cycle Spanish  
  3. Design effective, inclusive and learner-centred Spanish lessons and learning experiences  
  4. Develop appropriate assessment approaches aligned with Junior Cycle requirements  
  5. Apply digital technologies, UDL and active-learning methodologies to Spanish teaching  
  6. Design learning experiences that promote intercultural awareness and global citizenship  
  7. Reflect critically on teaching, learning and assessment approaches within diverse post-primary contexts  

Magical Realism and the Spanish-American Short Story

Overview
Explore one of the most influential movements in twentieth-century Latin American literature through the short story. This module examines the political, social and cultural circumstances surrounding the Latin American Literary Boom, with particular attention to the development of Magical Realism. 

Through close engagement with texts from different Latin American countries, you will examine how authors used Magical Realism to respond to complex histories of colonisation, dictatorship and social change. You will also consider how literary and cultural texts can enrich the teaching of Spanish in post-primary classrooms.

Module aim
Learners will develop an understanding of the Latin American Literary Boom and critically explore Magical Realism as a distinctive literary and cultural form. They will strengthen their literary analysis skills while considering how Latin American texts and cultural perspectives can inform engaging and culturally responsive Spanish teaching.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical, political and social context of the Latin American Literary Boom  
  2. Analyse the use of Magical Realism across texts from different Latin American countries  
  3. Critically evaluate narrative techniques, themes and stylistic devices within Boom literature  
  4. Construct coherent written and oral arguments about the cultural and aesthetic dimensions of Magical Realism  
  5. Apply insights from Magical Realism and the Latin American Literary Boom to culturally responsive Spanish learning experiences at post-primary level  

Elective Module

Overview 
This elective module gives you the opportunity to tailor your studies to your language development, academic interests and professional goals. You will select one of three options, each offering a different pathway for developing your Spanish language, cultural, analytical and research skills. 

Option A – Intensive Consolidation of Spanish Language (B1/B2) 
This option provides an intensive language-learning experience designed to consolidate your existing Spanish proficiency and support progression from B1 towards B2 level. You will strengthen your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills while developing greater fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and confidence in using Spanish independently. 

Option B – Comparative Literature Project: Spain, Latin America and Ireland 
This option allows you to undertake an independent comparative project exploring literary and/or filmic texts from Spain, Latin America and Ireland. You will examine connections across different linguistic, cultural and national contexts while developing comparative analysis, research and academic writing skills, primarily through Spanish. 

Option C – Research Project: Spanish and the Spanish-Speaking World 
This option enables you to undertake an independent research project in an area of Spanish or Latin American culture aligned with your academic or professional interests. You may explore literary, filmic, visual or other cultural texts while developing a focused research question and critically engaging with relevant scholarship. The project is completed primarily through Spanish and may incorporate classroom resources informed by your research. 

Module aim
The module allows learners to pursue a pathway aligned with their individual development and interests. Depending on the option selected, learners will consolidate and advance their Spanish language proficiency, develop comparative literary and cultural analysis skills, or undertake independent research into Spain and the Spanish-speaking world.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate enhanced Spanish language, cultural, analytical and/or research competence appropriate to their chosen pathway  
  2. Engage critically with Spanish-language materials, cultural texts or academic scholarship  
  3. Communicate ideas and findings effectively through Spanish  
  4. Apply appropriate linguistic, analytical or research methodologies to independent study  
  5. Demonstrate increased intercultural awareness and understanding of Spain and the wider Spanish-speaking world  
  6. Reflect on how their chosen area of study can inform their professional practice and the teaching of Spanish at post-primary level  

Spanish Language for Post-Primary Teachers (B2)

Overview
Advance your Spanish towards B2 proficiency and develop the confidence to communicate effectively across increasingly complex academic, professional and social contexts. Building on your previous language development, you will strengthen listening, reading, spoken interaction, spoken production, writing and mediation skills. 

The module focuses on increasingly independent and spontaneous communication, helping you develop the linguistic range, accuracy and intercultural competence needed to use Spanish confidently within professional and post-primary teaching contexts. 

Module aim
Learners will develop independent Spanish language competence at CEFR B2.2 level, with an emphasis on fluency, accuracy, flexibility and effective communication. They will broaden their linguistic and cultural repertoire while developing the confidence to engage with complex topics and communicate Spanish effectively in educational contexts.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Use Spanish independently at B2 level across receptive, productive, interactive and mediation activities  
  2. Understand the main ideas and detail of complex spoken and written Spanish  
  3. Interact with a level of fluency and spontaneity that supports sustained communication  
  4. Express and defend viewpoints clearly across academic, professional and social contexts  
  5. Produce detailed, coherent and well-structured spoken and written texts  
  6. Apply a broad range of vocabulary and grammatical structures accurately and appropriately  
  7. Demonstrate sophisticated awareness of sociolinguistic and intercultural conventions  
  8. Reflect critically on language development and apply strategies for continued autonomous learning  

Advanced Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment 2: Senior Cycle Spanish

Overview
Build the advanced curriculum and pedagogical expertise required to teach Spanish across Senior Cycle programmes, including Transition Year, Leaving Certificate Applied and Leaving Certificate Established. 

You will critically engage with national curriculum specifications, policy documents and assessment frameworks while applying theories of second-language acquisition to curriculum planning and classroom practice. Through lesson and resource design, micro-teaching and peer assessment, you will explore inclusive practice, UDL, digital and multimodal pedagogies, intercultural education and global citizenship. 

Module aim
Learners will develop the knowledge, confidence and professional autonomy required to plan, teach and assess Spanish effectively across Senior Cycle. They will critically evaluate curriculum and assessment requirements and apply evidence-informed, inclusive and learner-centred methodologies to diverse post-primary teaching contexts.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive and critical understanding of Senior Cycle Spanish, its assessment structures, policy context and ongoing curriculum redevelopment  
  2. Apply and critically evaluate theories of second-language acquisition and pedagogy  
  3. Design and deliver inclusive lessons aligned with Senior Cycle learning outcomes and assessment requirements  
  4. Apply advanced digital and multimodal methodologies to support UDL and learner engagement  
  5. Design learning experiences that foster intercultural competence and global citizenship  

Transgressive Identities in Spanish Cinema

Overview
Explore how Spanish cinema has reflected and shaped changing understandings of identity from the final years of the Franco regime through Spain’s transition to democracy and into the contemporary period. 

Through selected films, you will examine representations of regional identity, gender, sexuality and politics, considering cinema as both a cultural form and a space for political discourse. The module explores how filmmakers challenged established narratives and contributed to new understandings of citizenship, belonging and identity in post-dictatorship Spain.

Module aim
Learners will develop a critical understanding of Spanish cinema as a lens through which to examine cultural, political and social change. They will apply approaches from film and cultural studies to analyse changing identities and consider how cinema can support intercultural learning and culturally rich Spanish teaching.

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and cultural contexts shaping Spanish cinema from late Francoism to the present  
  2. Apply theoretical frameworks from film and cultural studies to the analysis of Spanish cinema  
  3. Critically evaluate representations of regional, gender, sexual and political identities  
  4. Analyse cinema as a form of political discourse in post-dictatorship Spain  
  5. Construct coherent and well-supported written and oral arguments about film, identity and social change  
  6. Reflect critically on relationships between cinematic representation, cultural memory and democratic transformation 

Gender Representation in 20th-Century Latin American Texts: The Case of Manuel Puig

Overview
Explore how gender, sexuality and power are represented and challenged in twentieth-century Latin American literature through the work of Argentine writer Manuel Puig. Set within the wider context of Post-Boom literature, this module examines how Puig draws on popular culture, cinema and unconventional narrative techniques to question rigid gender roles and dominant social norms. 

Through selected literary and audiovisual texts, you will consider how representations of masculinity, femininity, sexuality and identity reflect broader cultural and historical contexts. The module also encourages you to consider how these texts can support critical literacy, inclusive text selection and meaningful classroom discussion in post-primary Spanish.

Module aim
Learners will develop a critical understanding of gender representation within Post-Boom Latin American literature, with a particular focus on Manuel Puig. They will analyse how literary and audiovisual texts challenge established gender norms, explore relationships between narrative form and social critique, and consider how these perspectives can inform inclusive and culturally responsive Spanish teaching..

Module learning outcomes
On completion of this module, learners should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of the historical, social and cultural context of Post-Boom literature in Latin America  
  2. Critically analyse how Manuel Puig’s work challenges conventional representations of gender and sexuality  
  3. Compare literary and audiovisual texts to explore cultural and historical representations of gender  
  4. Construct coherent, well-supported written and oral arguments relating to gender, identity and narrative strategy  
  5. Apply insights from the module to inclusive text selection, critical literacy and classroom discussion in post-primary Spanish  

Who Will Support You?  

  • Dr Aisling O’Connor 

    Programme Director

    Aisling is Programme Director for the Higher Diploma of Arts in Spanish for Teachers. With over 15 years’ teaching experience in post-primary schools and in Higher Education, her expertise spans Spanish language and cultural studies. Aisling’s research interests lie in the area of Spanish memory studies, and she also engages in Education research and SoTL research, with a focus on teacher and student self-efficacy across all levels of education.

  • Dr Liam Printer

    Lecturer

    Dr Liam Printer is an experienced teacher and teacher educator with expertise in motivation, language acquisition and Comprehensible Input. He hosts The Motivated Classroom podcast and has previously worked on PGCE courses for MFL teachers at The University of Oxford and the University of Bath Spa. His research focuses on motivating language learners through co-created storytelling.  

  • Dr María Lydia Polotto

    Lecturer

    María Lydia has over 13 years’ experience teaching Spanish and Latin American studies at post-primary level and in Higher Education. She has taught language and literature modules in UCD and TCD and holds a PhD from UCD. Her expertise spans Spanish language teaching, Latin American literature, inclusive education and assessment.

  • Carolina Fernández- García

    Lecturer

    Carolina Fernánez-García is a Spanish language specialist, author and examiner with over 15 years’ experience in education. Carolina teaches on ” Spanish Language for Post-Primary Teachers (B1)” and “Spanish Language for Post-Primary Teachers (B2)”. She is the author of Cuéntame and has developed a range of high-quality Spanish resources across multiple digital learning platforms. Her expertise includes language acquisition, assessment and technology-enhanced language teaching.

  • Amy Nic an Rí

    Lecturer

    Amy Nic an Rí is a Modern Foreign Languages teacher and teacher educator specialising in second-language acquisition. Her expertise includes evidence-based language pedagogy, curriculum design and teacher education, with a particular focus on Spanish teaching in Gaelcholáiste settings.

  • Beatriz Rubio Martínez 

    Lecturer

    Beatriz Rubio Martínez is an experienced Spanish language educator who has taught at universities in Ireland and Spain. Her expertise spans language teaching, curriculum and assessment design, digital pedagogy and translation. She is a DELE examiner and is completing a PhD in Language, Culture and Translation. 

Entry Requirements

To apply, you will need to:

  • Have an undergraduate degree at NFQ Level 8 (or equivalent) with a minimum of lower second-class honours (2.2) or equivalent
  • Be a qualified post-primary teacher and supply evidence that you are fully registered in accordance with the Teaching Council (Registration) Regulations 2016
  • Submit a personal statement with your application, outlining your suitability for the programme and detailing your motivation to become a Spanish teacher  

Language Requirements

  • Any applicant whose first language/primary mode of expression is not English will be required to produce evidence of English competence at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) C1 or higher.
  • All applicants must demonstrate a minimum Spanish proficiency of CEFR A2. To be considered for the programme, they must submit evidence of this minimum level through an approved language test (e.g. DELE or SIELE).
  • Alternatively, where applicants are native Spanish speakers, they must instead submit evidence of having undertaken substantial education at a minimum of NFQ Level 5 (equivalent to the Irish Leaving Certificate) through Spanish or in a country where Spanish is the native language.

*Where eligible application numbers exceed the number of available places, a ranking system will be used. 
**Where applicants meet the eligibility criteria, those successful applicants, where applicable, will be asked to present evidence that they are engaged in teaching Spanish at post-primary level, out of field.

Technical Requirements

You will need:

  • Access to your own laptop with a minimum specification of:
    – RAM: Minimum 8 GB (Windows or Mac) (recommended: 8 GB)
    – Storage: Minimum 7,200 RPM SATA with 20 GB of available space (recommended: SSD
    with 40 GB of available space)
    – Processor: Minimum Intel Core i3 (2.5 GHz) (recommended: Intel Core i5)
  • Access to a stable internet connection with a minimum speed of 12–15 Mbps
    (recommended: 25 Mbps)
Payment Terms

The programme’s tuition fee is fully funded by the Department of Education and Youth. You will not be required to pay any additional fees associated with the programme, including application, processing, examination, certification or graduation fees.
However, you will need to cover any personal expenses associated with participation in the programme, including travel costs, textbooks and other learning resources, where applicable.

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