Description

Do you want to complete an internship at an international primary school abroad? In this minor, you develop English teaching skills, intercultural competence, and research experience through classes at Avans, COIL projects and a supervised international internship. 

In this minor, you develop into a reflective and internationally oriented primary school teacher who can confidently work in diverse educational contexts. You focus on two core learning outcomes that strengthen both your teaching practice and your research skills in international settings. 
 
First, you learn to design, teach, and justify effective English-medium lessons in international and intercultural primary school contexts. You consciously adapt your pedagogical and didactic choices to cultural differences between learners and schools. Through lesson design, teaching practice, feedback, and reflection, you demonstrate growth in intercultural competences (ICOMS), such as adapting communication, perspective-taking, and building professional relationships. Experiences from COIL projects and your international internship play a key role, and you critically reflect on your professional development and future learning goals. 
 
Second, you conduct a systematic, practice-based research project in both a Dutch and an international primary school context. You work within a clear theoretical framework and collect and analyse data with attention to cultural factors and intercultural communication. You compare contexts, identify similarities and differences, and support your conclusions with theory, evidence, and practice-based insights. Reflection on your own cultural perspective, bias, and professional growth is an essential part of this process. 
 
Together, these learning outcomes prepare you to teach, research, and reflect effectively in international primary education, and to continue developing as an interculturally competent education professional. 

Are you interested in teaching at an international primary school and working with children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds? Do you want to develop your English-medium teaching skills while learning how to respond sensitively to cultural differences in education?

This minor is for students who are curious, reflective, and motivated to work in international and intercultural educational contexts. You are interested in pedagogy and didactics, and you want to strengthen your professional competences in subject knowledge, teaching practice, and classroom interaction in English. You are open to learning from others, willing to step outside your comfort zone, and motivated to engage with different perspectives.

You are interested in global citizenship, diversity, and inclusion, and you want to understand how education can contribute to more equitable and inclusive learning environments. You are also willing to explore practice-based research with children and use research to improve your own teaching practice. You do not need to be an expert researcher, but you are curious, analytical, and prepared to reflect critically on your own assumptions and cultural positioning.

You enjoy collaborating with international peers through COIL projects, using creative and arts-based approaches, and learning both on campus and online. You are independent and proactive, especially when arranging your international internship, and you are motivated to gain meaningful experience abroad.

If you want to grow into a confident, reflective, and interculturally competent teacher who can bridge languages, cultures, and educational systems, this minor is a good fit for you.

Learning goals 

Learning Outcome 1  

As an executing education professional: professional growth & English teaching in an intercultural educational context 
You design, implement, and justify effective English-medium lessons in international and intercultural primary school contexts, deliberately aligning your didactic and pedagogical practices with cultural differences. You demonstrate growth in intercultural competences (ICOMS)—such as adapting communication, engaging in perspective-taking, and building professional relationships—and substantiate your choices using theory, feedback, and experiences from COIL activities and international placements. Based on critical reflection on your professional development, you formulate new learning goals to further strengthen your practice as an education professional. -  
 
Learning outcome 2  

As an investigative education professional: comparative intercultural educational research in the Netherlands and abroad 
You conduct systematic, critical, and interculturally informed practice-based research with children in both the Netherlands and a self-selected international educational context. You collect and analyse data within a clear theoretical framework, interpret similarities and differences through the explicit application of ICOMS, and provide a thorough analysis of relevant cultural factors. You substantiate your conclusions with theory, empirical evidence, and findings from practice, and reflect on the implications of these outcomes for your future professional practice in international educational settings. 

Entry level  

No strict entry requirements apply. An English language proficiency level of B2 (CEFR) is recommended to support effective communication in academic and professional contexts. In addition, demonstrable experience with teaching and the development of didactic and subject-specific skills—such as lesson preparation, classroom instruction, and pedagogical reflection—is helpful. Experience shows that this minor can contribute to further developing and refining these skills; the recommendations are meant to be supportive rather than restrictive. 

Required literature  

Will be provided within the minor.

Time schedule 

Semester 1 - full time until the autumn break in Breda and after that you'll go abroad for at least 35 days of internship.

Coaching and supervision: At Avans or online, you receive individual coaching from an Avans lecturer to support your teaching practice and your professional development in international and intercultural contexts. We use the arts as a method to support your development within ICOMS.

Classroom-based instruction: You participate in on-campus sessions focused on subject-specific English and effective English-medium teaching in primary education. You follow structured research skills lessons and receive targeted supervision from research lecturers to support your practice-based research.

COIL projects: You work on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects with international partners, developing intercultural communication and collaboration skills using the arts.

Credits / Study load  

Assessment in this minor is based on a portfolio. In the portfolio, you demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes through practice-based evidence, including teaching materials, reflective reports, research outputs, and documentation from educational and research activities in both national and international contexts. The portfolio provides the basis for assessing your professional development, English-medium teaching in an intercultural context, and comparative practice-based research with children.

Toets 1

Professional growth & English teaching in an intercultural educational context - portfolio - 20 ECT 

Toets 2

Comparative intercultural educational research in the Netherlands and abroad - report - 10 ECT

ECTS: 30

Additional information 

N.B.: Avans program linked to this minor module is: 

Opleiding tot Leraar Basisonderwijs (LBO-B).
You need this information for registration in Studielink. 

Minor is open to "exchange" students. 

The minor is offered in the 1st semester (September to February).

Ask your study advisor from your own study program which conditions apply to participate. 

If you would like more information about studying at Avans, please contact our International Office: internationaloffice@avans.nl or +31(0)88 - 525 80 01

More information about this program is available at the Avans School of Welfare, Education and Health: globalisation.aweg@avans.nl