As usual, PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 for Secondary English teachers has been updated for the academic years 2023-25.
The new edition of PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 is available from 11th September 2023 until mid-July 2025 (unless there are changes in the expected public calls) and can be started at any time if you do it on your own.
Only those working on their own on the Moodle Platform can choose to enrol in just one or two of the courses, although they may also do the whole PF1-2-3, something we encourage them to do.
It includes pdfs, videos with presentations and explanations, and different activities so that those who want to prepare for the whole exam, or just one or two parts with PoppieS can do it on their own or combined with Zoom classes. You can also use the fora to ask questions and doubts or check what others have asked.
PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3: Contents
The PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 combines, in a seamless way, the preparation of the Practical Language Exam with the Topics and the Syllabus and Units/Learning Situations.
The objective is that you practise and connect the three parts (topics, práctico, and syllabus) in a logical and fruitful fashion.
The Materials are organised as follows, and you can choose to do just one, two, three or -as we recommend- the whole Poppies Foundation Plus:
1. Introductory Course “Study & Writing Techniques + ICT Resources
This course, which lasts a maximum of one week, introduces you to some techniques for more efficiently studying topics and drafting your exam essay. It also helps you become familiar with some apps we recommend for your classes and your Syllabus and Unit design.
It consists of 2 Modules:
– Module 1-Study & Writing techniques: 4 books with some optional Reading Materials
– Module 2 – Some ICT Resources, where we introduce the apps and resources we recommend for learning and teaching.
This Course is free when you enrol in Option 2 or 4!!!!
2. PoppieS’ Foundation 1: Topic Preparation
PoppieS’ Foundation 1 focuses on what in most Autonomous Regions is Exam Part 1B. It has been designed to help you improve your writing skills and control times when you draft your essays so that they are complete, read well and they are your own.
Contents
- Module 1. Structure & Development: 3 Units with workbooks and contents covering three topics. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 2. Communicative Competence. 1 Unit with a workbook and contents covering one topic. With feedback on the assignment for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 3. Linguistic Competences. 4 Units with workbooks and contents covering six topics. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 4. Pragmatic Competences. 3 Units with workbooks and contents covering eight topics. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 5. Socio-linguistic (& Socio-cultural) Competence. 3 Units with workbooks and contents covering two topics + work on two other topics related to them and to elements covered in previous Modules and in Module 6. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 6. Specific Competences. 1 Unit with workbooks and contents to work on three topics related to them and to elements covered in previous Modules. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
Summary
In total, we work on 25 topics from the 1993 list. The course includes videos, workbooks and assignments to help you study efficiently, master the topic contents and draft good topic essays. The topics selected are considered essential for any English teacher to be familiar with and master. They are also likely to be the same if any changes to the list happened to occur for the next competitive exam.
The Assignments aim to help you implement the aspects dealt with in the Introductory Course. That is, to help you remember, understand, apply, analyse, create and self-assess your topics. In a few cases, you are expected to extract and personalise the contents from various topics to produce your own. This has been proven particularly useful in order to successfully deal with this part of the exam. Needless to say, to apply and analyse the contents you’ll need to relate them to the Práctico (Part 1A. of the Competitive Exam) and to your teaching practice and, therefore, your syllabus and units. It also includes videos with explanations and access to the Forum to ask possible doubts.
3. PoppieS’ Foundation 2: Práctico- Language Exam Issues
The aim of PoppieS’s Foundation 2 is to help you prepare for what in most Autonomous Regions is Exam Part 1A. We aim to help you prepare and appropriately distribute your time for the exam. Also, to improve your listening, summary and synthesis skills. Finally, to efficiently and accurately deal with the many different aspects of this part of the exam.
Which is why this part is closely linked to both the topics and the syllabus & unit design.
Contents
- Module 1. Structure & Development: 3 Units + a Mock Exam, with various assignments and one quiz. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 2. Communicative Competence. 1 Unit + a Mock Exam, with assignments and one quiz. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- .Module 3. Linguistic Competences. 4 Units + a Mock Exam, with assignments and quizzes. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 4. Pragmatic Competences. 3 Units + a Mock Exam, with assignments and quizzes. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 5. Socio-linguistic (& Socio-cultural) Competence. 3 Units, including two Mock Exams, with assignments and quizzes. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 6. Specific Competences. 1 Unit + a Mock Exam, with assignments and quizzes. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
Summary
This is the second of the fully comprehensive PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3, which gives you a sound foundation around the 25 topics dealt with in PoppieS Foundation 1. Topic Preparation. It incorporates a variety of activities to include aspects covered in different Autonomous Regions (listenings, translation practice, text analysis of various types, summaries, essay writing, and teaching proposals). It includes videos and PDFs explaining and providing Suggested
Answer keys. They often serve as the implementation of what has been learnt in PF1.
4. PoppieS’ Foundation 3: Syllabus & Unit Design
Here we cover the 2nd Part of the Exam proper, in all Autonomous Regions. It incorporates current legislation. One of the goals is to help you understand the syllabus better (objectives, key and specific competences, UDL, etc.) Another is to help you design the best outline for your units and LS. Other goals include understanding assessment better to improve this aspect in your syllabus and learning about the contents of current legislation. The contents are also intertwined with the topics and the language part.
Contents
- Module 1. Structure & Learning-Teaching processes. 3 Units to help you structure your syllabus and units. They also focus on students and approaches/principles/teching strategies. It includes feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 2. Communicative, Specific & Key Competences. 1 Unit focusing on legislation and other key documents. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- .Module 3. UDL, Objectives & Teaching Linguistic Competences. 4 Units in which we set Objectives, consider students, plan and start distributing the contents. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 4. Pragmatic Competences. 3 Units dealing with units, assessment and distributing and teaching pragmatic contents. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 5. Socio-linguistic (& Socio-cultural) Competence. 3 Units on texts, tasks and strategies, Specific Competence 6 and steps to follow when planning a unit/LS. With feedback on assignments for those attending Zoom classes.
- Module 6. Specific Competences. 2 Units focusing on Unit/LS planning and Specific Competence assessment.
How much does the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 Cost?
When you do the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 online only, you can choose to do just one, two, three or the four courses combined. You may also start any time you wish.
137 €
- You save €84 as you also get the Introductory Course free
- You’ll have access to them on the PoppieS platform. We feel that with the video explanations, the workbooks and the Answer Keys you can make headway on your own.
- If you prefer not just to have access to the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3, but also to have some further guidance and, above all, feedback on your work, you can combine it with
Zoom classes
These can be either one-to-one or in groups of 2-5/6 participants.
With the classes, we give you feedback on assignments you are being asked to do as part of the training on mock exams or similar.
During the Zoom sessions we solve doubts, carry out some of the assignments on the platform, or give oral presentations to practise the Rationale and Unit presentation.
And if you cannot attend one session, there’s no problem: We record it and send it to the group.
The price for the Zoom classes depends on their frequency and the number of people per group.
You need to contact us to book a place and enrol in the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3.
When does the PoppieS’ Foundation 1-2-3 start and how long does it last?
- On 11th September 2023 those enrolled in the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3- will be given access to the Introductory Course. They will work on it for one week. During that time we’ll be in contact so that we can solve any issues and arrange the best times and days for the Zoom sessions.
- POPPIES Foundation 1-2-3 lasts a whole academic year, from September 2023 to June-July 2024. However, since the exam is expected to be held in June 2025 you will have access to the materials at no extra cost until July 2025, unless we need to make changes. In this case, we may need to ask for a small contribution. (This academic year it is only €25 to access the whole PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 for our old students).
What happens when I finish the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3?
- Since the PoppieS Foundation 1-2-3 has been designed to last one academic year and the Competitive exam is not expected to be held until June 2025, you can then proceed with the PoppieS Building Blocks and still keep access to the Foundation. If there were any changes in the dates or the exam, we will let you know and incorporate the changes.
