Information Pack
for full-time intensive courses
in Teaching English
as a Foreign Language
to Speakers of Other Languages
2014
Trinity College London CertTESOL
Course dates 2015
27 April 2015 – 22 May 2015
25 May 2015 – 19 June 2015
Course structure and content
The course usually lasts for four intensive weeks and is preceded by a pre-course task,
undertaken in your own time. The first day of the course lays the foundations and prepares for
the teaching practice (TP) to come. From day two, the days are divided into input and teaching
practice sessions.
Trainees are strongly advised to free themselves from all other commitments during the
period of the course as almost no time at all is left for other activities.
Pre-course
On acceptance you will be sent a pre-course task to complete. This will take the form of a
number of exercises which are designed to set the scene for the TEFL/TESOL course, start you
thinking along appropriate lines and ensure that all the participants begin with similar
understandings of some basic ideas.
The Course
The first day gives us a chance to get to know each other and allows you to absorb a large
amount of important information - the pressures of the main course have already begun! You
will meet some of the students you are going to teach, which leads up to the preparation of
lessons and materials for the initial TP. You will, of course, be given ample guidance and
support for your first lesson.
In addition, all participants are required to observe several hours of EFL teaching; if you are
able to do some of this before the course, so much the better. These observations will be
arranged for you, and you will be given observation tasks to help you focus on key areas.
Input and T P
Daily input sessions on language teaching methodology, language awareness and
phonetics/phonology are led by one of the teacher trainers directing the course. Occasional
sessions will be led by other teachers/ trainers who are specialists in their particular field, such
as independent learning and teaching young learners.
In the afternoons, teaching practice (TP) will take place with groups of students who volunteer
to come for extra classes. Whilst they are aware that you are learning how to teach English,
they will expect to learn something themselves! The first lessons will obviously be very daunting
for you. Students are usually supportive, however, and you and your students should soon
establish a happy working relationship.
Teaching practice
Teaching practice will be in two groups with two different language levels. Each trainee will
teach for a minimum of six hours, usually divided into 30 and 60 minute sessions. Teaching
practice is observed by both a TP tutor and the other trainees in your TP group. Immediately
following these practice classes, there is a full feedback session in which comments are
exchanged, between yourself, the observers and the TP tutor, and guidance is given. Each
trainee who has taught during the teaching practice session receives a written feedback form
after the practice lesson and feedback discussion.
At points during the course, you will teach unsupervised and at other times the feedback will be
delayed until the following morning to encourage and allow more reflection. You have to write
up a brief but specific critique of each of your lessons.
Tutorials
Individual tutorial time is reserved for each trainee during the course, giving you the opportunity
to discuss individual concerns, and progress indications are given.
Trainees are expected to attend all input and all teaching practice sessions.
Written Work
There are a number of written assignments during the course; detailed guidelines and
submission deadlines are given at the start of the course. Assignments comprise the following:
UNL (Unknown Natural Language)
At the beginning of the course, you will attend a short language learning module in which you
will learn elements of a language which is unknown to your group. The UNL assignment
requires each participant to submit a detailed report on the experience.
LLP (Language Learner Profile)
This is an in-depth analysis of a particular language student (chosen by each trainee), their
linguistic needs, problems and possible future development. You must also plan and teach a
‘one to one’ lesson with the student. A taped interview with the learner is required for the
analysis.
MA (Materials Assignment)
Each trainee is required to compile a set of materials which have been used by them during TP,
evaluate them and comment on their utility and flexibility. This component is externally
assessed by a Trinity moderator.
TPE (Teaching Practice Evaluations)
Following each teaching practice, trainees are required to provide a written evaluation of their
own lessons.
Assessment
There is ongoing assessment throughout the course: each assignment will be marked and
graded after the submission deadline. The key element, teaching practice, is formally assessed
for each of your one-hour lessons (in conjunction with the TP journal this accounts for 50% of
the marks). There is also a final examination near the end of the course. As mentioned above,
the Materials Assignment is externally assessed.
All components must be passed.
Exams
During the third week there is a progress test covering methodology, phonetics and language
awareness. A final exam, dealing with the same elements, and including an additional lesson
planning exercise, takes place during the last week.
Grades
At the end of the course, you will have the chance to discuss the course with an external
moderator. One of the moderator’s tasks is to approve final results with the course leaders. An
internal, graded certificate and profile can be awarded to successful participants. The TRINITY
certificate for successful participants usually arrives about six weeks after the course.
Your work
All materials and assignments submitted during the course must be available for perusal by the
external moderator.
The Trainers
Ray de Witt has been providing TESOL training since 1992, previously with Westminster
University. He has a long and varied experience of teaching language and training teachers,
has worked in Italy and in other countries and is used to dealing with the reality of TEFL and
TESOL in both the private and state sectors.
Other teacher trainers on the course will also have a very wide range of experience, overseas
and in the UK, and expertise, from initial training courses to work at MA level.
Questions from you to us
Our response
What’s the difference between
TEFL, TESL and TESOL?
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), Teaching English as a
Second Language (TESL) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other
Languages (TESOL) demand almost identical skills from the teacher. ELT
and TESOL are simply acronyms used by Cambridge ESOL and Trinity
College London (TCL) respectively for their CELTA and Cert. TESOL
provision. The certificate that trainees receive on successful completion of
either type of course is equally valid around the world.
There are numerous Cert. TESOL and CELTA providers, so it should be
easy to find one which suits you. Each course will carry the stamp of the
institution and the tutors running it. You will also be considering location
and price; generally, like anything else, you get what you pay for. Beware
money back or repeat if you fail guarantees - there could be pressure on
tutors to pass you even if you may not be suitable; nobody benefits. If you
are asked to take out insurance against failing the course, make sure you
know exactly what is covered. Courses which do not have stringent
selection procedures should also be avoided. Only Trinity and Cambridge
ESOL certificates are internationally recognised; the British Council
recognises them as equivalent, bona fide initial qualifications.
Our course is demanding and challenging. We are less prescriptive than
many; input sessions tend not to be lectures, more a voyage of discovery
under the guidance of a course tutor. If you enjoy challenges and believe
that learning requires involvement and participation, this is the course for
you.
Selection procedures for our course almost always require a face to face
interview in which we will work out together whether you may or may not
be suitable. We usually recommend that trainees have a degree (or
equivalent). You need to be tenacious and able to work in a focused and
sustained way over a four week period. If English is not your first
language, you should be at least up to Proficiency [IELTS 7.5] level.
Very. For four weeks you will have little or no time to do anything else
(even sleep!), if you want to get the most from the course. Look on it as an
investment which will pay dividends; after all, if you do well, your first
month of paid teaching could pay for the course fees!
Sometimes, otherwise the course would have little validity. The course
tutors do everything they can to ensure that trainees who experience
difficulties are offered all the support and guidance possible.
Your course tutors examine and mark all written work except the Materials
Assignment; you will have a chance to submit drafts for comment before
the final mark is given. Your 60 minute lessons are also graded - but these
take place after you have already taught several shorter, ungraded
lessons.
How can I decide which course
is right for me?
Why this course?
Have I got what it takes?
How demanding on my time
will the course be?
Do people fail?
How is the work graded?
Will I be told how I am progressing?
What about work after the course?
Yes. One-to-one tutorials are built into the course. You will have the
chance to discuss any particular concerns and how things are going in
general; your tutor will give indications of how to proceed.
Full-time, permanent teaching jobs in the UK are few and far between some part-time work may be easier to find, especially during the summer.
Abroad, the story is often different, as many schools change their teachers
each academic year. A lot depends on where you want to go - it is usually
easier to find a job in eastern Europe, for example, than in Japan. Some
countries demand a first degree. For the adventurous, it is almost always
easier to find work in situ than to apply from here.
Finally,
remember that if you want to become involved in English language teaching you need to be
 outgoing, empathetic, organised and professional
and be able to :
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use English effectively and accurately
operate professionally
think on your feet
adapt to new cultures
tolerate other people’s cultural blind spots
reflect/introspect
work hard
work under pressure
and be interested in :
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the English language
language in general
your students’ lives
working with other professionals
continuing to learn
and how people think
: