Centre for Language and Communication Studies
EVENING LANGUAGE MODULES
Important information for Student Language Assistants
What are the Evening Language Modules?
The Language Modules are one-year language courses which are offered to ‘students
of other disciplines’ in Trinity College. The majority of students taking language
modules courses are not studying a language as part of their degree and may be
from the faculties of Science, Health Sciences, Engineering as well as Arts,
Humanities & Social Sciences. Students from all College years are eligible to study a
Language Module as an extra-curricular option; some students are eligible to take
their Language Module for credit (5 ECTS). The students who successfully finish one
year of a Language Module are then invited to return for subsequent years. URL:
http://www.tcd.ie/slscs/undergraduate/clcs-language-modules/
When and Where?
All Language Modules classes take place outside the normal College timetable,
between 6pm and 9pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.
All Language Modules take place in the Arts Building. The timetable for the Modules
is displayed on one of the CLCS noticeboards outside the CLCS office, Room 4091.
What is the Centre for Language and Communication Studies?
The Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) is responsible both for
teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Linguistics, and for providing
language-learning facilities for the College. These facilities are based around the
resource centre in Room 4091, Arts Building, and include satellite TV/video playback,
multimedia computers and a wide range of materials in all media.
CLCS is part of the School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, and is a
centre of excellence for research on language, language learning, and language
teaching and is highly regarded internationally. The Language Modules’ Programme
has been developed over the past two decade by CLCS. Our Head of School is
Professor Martine Smith, and the Language Modules Coordinator is Dr Lorna Carson.
Who are the Language Module teachers?
For most of the Modules, the teachers are native speakers of the target language
who have worked with CLCS over a number of years. Teachers are responsible for
delivering the language courses within the framework outlined in the course booklet.
The teachers are highly experienced in the teaching methods used, and they are
responsible for directing the activities of the student language assistants in the
classroom in order to encourage learner autonomy. If a teacher is not satisfied with
the performance or activities of a student language assistant s/he will report the
matter to the Course Co-ordinator and it will be necessary to ask that assistant to
leave the Language Modules’ programme.
What happens in a Language Modules’ class?
The first thirty minutes/forty-five minutes/one hour of the class session is often
delivered by the teacher alone. This period is used to address language learning
issues as well as organisational matters. The Language Modules programme is based
on a series of project cycles, which are carried out on a group basis. Students must
organise themselves into working groups (usually 3 to 6 people) and must carry out
the different stages of each project as outlined in the course handbook and on the
project worksheet.
The student language assistant usually joins the class for the second half of the
session, when the students are working in their project groups.
What is the role of the student language assistant?
The assistant joins the class in the second half of the class session and is responsible
for working with different student groups throughout that hour. It is important that
the assistants circulate so that each group spends some time with a native-speaking
assistant.
The assistant can provide valuable information and support for the language learning
activities of the students. For example:
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a native-speaker can suggest different vocabulary which would be more typically
used;
a native-speaker can suggest more accurate constructions;
a native speaker can help with pronunciation and intonation.
The question of pronunciation is a particularly important one, as it tends to be one of
the weaker aspects of Irish students’ use of languages.
Student assistants are asked to pay particular attention to pronunciation,
particularly when the groups are preparing their oral presentations.
On the other hand, the following must be observed –
 The assistant is not a teacher and must accept direction from the teacher,
 The assistant is not there to translate text etc. from English,
 The assistant must not do the work for the students – they are there to learn.
When do assistants attend class sessions?
Assistants are required to attend class during the weeks leading to a project
presentation (teachers will confirm with individual assistants which weeks they
require assistance in each term). Assistants are not required to attend class for the
presentation. Therefore they attend during the ‘Project Work’ weeks. If they are
required to attend at other times, the teacher will make arrangements on an
individual basis. You will be expected to attend class on six occasions in each of the
two terms. If you only work five weeks in one term, the missing week can be
compensated in the next term.
How and when are assistants paid?
When students are offered positions as student language assistants, they are
required to complete a form giving details of their bank account and address in
Ireland. All student assistants must sign in weekly, in the attendance book, to
confirm that they attended the class. This attendance book can be found at the
desk in the CLCS office Room 4091. You need to go to this office to sign your name
every time you come to class. Payment is made during the second term (depending
on College holidays) directly into the assistant’s bank account. It is essential,
therefore, that student language assistants set up a bank account in Ireland as
soon as possible.
The rate of payment for student language assistants is €10 per hour worked. In
general, students are not required to pay tax on the earnings received as student
language assistants. However, if any student is working elsewhere in the College, or
outside Trinity College, then it is possible that his/her total earnings will be large
enough to be liable for tax.
The procedure for PPS numbers and tax forms
There are two steps in dealing with tax in Ireland. Firstly, you need to obtain a PPS
number. This you need to get from your local social welfare office, or Social Welfare
Services Office, Apollo House, Tara St., Dublin 1. You need to bring a) Passport or
Driving Licence, and b) a documentation of your Irish address, e.g. bill, rent book. If
you have no other proof of address, my official letter offering you employment as a
language assistant is sufficient – please ask me for a signed copy of this if necessary.
Secondly, once you have the PPS number, fill in a form 12A (you can get a copy of
this form on their web site at http://www.revenue.ie. In order to fill in the form 12A,
you will need the following information

PPS number: (you received this in the previous step – for Section A);
Section C
 Name of Employer: Trinity College Dublin
 Address of Employer: Trinity College, College Green, Dublin 2
 Telephone of Employer: 01 896 1000
 Staff/Personnel No: not applicable
 Employer’s PAYE Registered Number: 00533701;
 (Trinity College’s Unit Number: 657)
 Employers Occupation: University;
 P.R.S.I. Class: your payment per hour, i.e. €10
 Your occupation: language assistant
 Date commenced: 21 October 2013 (part-time)
 Pay frequency: monthly
For more information . . .
For additional information about the position of student language assistant on the
CLCS Language Modules’ programme you can contact the CLCS Office:
Room 4091, Arts Building
E-mail: clcsinfo@tcd.ie
Arts Building
Tel: 01 893 1560
Please note that we cannot give individual advice on completing the 12A Form, or on
obtaining a PPS number. You should consult the relevant government departments
or the Citizens’ Information website: http://www.citizensinformation.ie
______________________________________________________________
Dr Lorna Carson
Language Modules Coordinator