Course Outline and Components

1- Teaching Skills and Classroom Management component:
Aims and objectives.

Our aims, in relation to the teaching skills and classroom management component of the course include:

• to prepare trainees for the opportunities and challenges of the T.E.F.L. classroom.
• to develop trainee awareness of classroom management techniques.
• to develop teaching skills with trainees which will enable them to be effective classroom practitioners.

In order to achieve these aims, the course provides opportunities for trainees:

• to reflect on their own experiences as language learners.
  
• to observe the techniques used by trainers during the input sessions.
  
• to develop an awareness of theories relating to the acquisition of first and additional languages.
  
• to develop an awareness of current teaching approaches and methodologies.
  
• to gain insights into the effective management of the learning environment.
  
• to consider basic models for developing language skills and planning lessons / activities.
  
• to identify relevant activities and materials which could be used with students in the classroom.

Input sessions are facilitated in a way which promotes experiential learning and a deductive approach to the study of language teaching. Furthermore, the sessions are characterised by a pragmatic, practical and creative approach which makes them accessible even for those trainees who come to the course with little or no background knowledge of teaching.

2- Teaching Skills and Classroom Management Course Content

1. Teaching and Learning a Foreign Language
2. The Role of the Teacher
3. Classroom Management
4. Using Published Material and Lesson Planning
5. Pair and Group Work. Instruction Giving
6/7.Teaching Receptive Skills
8/9.Teaching Vocabulary
10. Teaching Beginners
11/12.Teaching Grammar in Context
13. Correction Techniques
14. Language Games
15. Productive Skills: (Speaking)
16. Productive Skills (Writing)
17. English for Specific Purposes (Business English)
18. Teaching Children, Teaching in One to One Situations, Time-Lines
19. Assessing Student Progress

3- The English Grammar component:
Aims and objectives.

Our aims, in relation to the grammar component of the course, are threefold:

• to explore the significance of grammar awareness in a language-teaching programme
  
• to raise the awareness of trainees in relation to the nature and key features of English grammar
  
• to offer strategies for the development of language awareness with students of English as a foreign language.

In order to achieve these aims, the course provides opportunities for trainees:

• to consider the relationship between grammar awareness and successful language acquisition.
  
• to explore techniques for presenting and exploring grammar within meaningful contexts.
  
• to observe the techniques used by trainers during the input sessions in relation to the analysis of language
  
• to study key features of English grammar as part of scheduled input sessions
  
• to study additional aspects of English grammar as part of the teaching-practice programme
  
• to identify relevant activities and materials which could be used with students in order to promote language awareness
  
• to develop an understanding of why students make errors and mistakes in relation to grammar
  
• to explore strategies for responding to student errors and mistakes

Input sessions are facilitated in a way which promotes experiential learning and a deductive approach to the study of English grammar. Furthermore, the sessions are characterised by a pragmatic, practical and creative approach which makes them accessible even for those trainees who come to the course with little background knowledge of English grammar.

In spite of popular myths to the contrary, grammar awareness sessions can be fun!

English Grammar Component Course content

1/2. Introduction to English Grammar
3/4. Present Tenses
5/6. Past Tenses
7/8. Future Tenses
9. Modal Auxilliary Verbs, Reported Speech
10. Gerunds and Infinitives
11. Conditional Sentences
12. The Passive Voice
13. Relative Clauses, Phrasal Verbs

4- Phonology
This area of study will provide you with information about the sounds of the English language and offer you insights and teaching ideas which support the teaching of good pronunciation.

5- Introduction to a foreign language.
The purpose of the foreign language component is two-fold. You will probably study the local language where you are taking your course and this will help you to settle into your temporary home. However, the main purpose of learning the foreign language on the course is for you to experience how it feels to be a student rather than a teacher. During these classes, the teacher will model many of the language teaching techniques introduced in the main input sessions.

6- Teaching Practice.
At the beginning of the course, you will observe a minimum of three lessons taught by qualified and experienced teachers.

During the second and third week of the course you will be required to teach & observed lessons of minimum 40 minutes. You will teach same groups of students from at least two different levels of competence in English.

We will advise you on the materials you will use and will offer you extensive support during guided lesson preparation time. As the course progresses, you will be expected to become less dependent on the support of our staff and to demonstrate your ability to work independently.

In addition to the classes you teach, you will also be required to work with an individual student for two 60 minute lessons.

All teaching practices with classes will be observed by trained and well qualified staff and you will receive group or individual feedback from them at the end of the lesson. Your work with an individual student will not be observed but you will be required to produce a comprehensive report on the sessions before the end of the course.

7- Assessment:
Unfortunately, you are going to be assessed on the course! However, while our approach to assessment is rigorous, it is also supportive and is conducted in such a way that our judgments are based on a very broad base of evidence.

• Teaching Practice: This accounts for 70% of your final grade (particular reference is given to your last four lessons with classes and to your individual student project).
• End of Course Test: This counts for 20% of your final grade.
• Self Assesment Portfolio: This will count for %10 of your final grade combined with your personal Qualities.

At the end of the course, you will be awarded a Cert. TEFL if you have satisfied us in each of the above areas of formal assessment. Occasionally, individuals will be awarded either a Merit or a Distinction if they have demonstrated a level of achievement above that which is expected.

8- Recommended Readings
We recommend that you have a copy of, or are familiar with, the following books:

Methodology: The Practice of English Language Teaching, J Harmer

Grammar: English Grammar in Use, R. Murphy, Cambridge University Press