TEFL International TESOL Course Content

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I. Foreign Language Experience.

The trainee will complete a daily learning journal during the foreign language experience, culminating in a 500-word conclusion. The focus is upon critical reflection on the learning experience, and useful insights for teaching.

II. Language Awareness.

Grammar - Inputs cover word classes, simple sentence elements, complex sentences and clauses, verb time and tense, aspect and conditionals and modals. Phonology – awareness of phonemics, rhythm, stress, intonation, place & manner of articulation and connected speech.

III. Student Profile

Trainees work with individual students on rapport-building, error analysis and correction and addressing individual student needs. Two meetings with the student are required including transcription and error analysis of audio and written samples, culminating in a 60-minute session observed by a trainer.

IV. Teaching Techniques. (30 hours) Teaching technique inputs normally cover:

• approaches to language learning
• warmers and modeling
• controlled practice
• interactive blackboards
• lesson planning models – with peer teaching
• appropriate language and comprehensible input
• language in context – with peer teaching
• vocabulary: cotext and context
• communicative activities
• theater techniques
• textbook review and evaluation
• classroom management
• listening activities
• pronunciation activities
• songs and chants
• reading activities
• writing activities
• teaching young learners
• using video and CALL
• feedback and testing

V. Teaching Practice and Observation. All teachers do:

• 3 hours of observing experienced teachers
• 20 hours of peer observation
• 1 hours of shared teaching practice
• 6 hours of individual teaching practice

VI. Materials Project

All trainees must develop two sets of materials used during the teaching practice. Each set must be durable, capable of being used for more than one lesson context and easily portable. The materials may include visuals, realia, audio or video tape, cue cards and class handouts, but may not be photocopied from published sources. Trainees are required to adapt from commercial sources, or develop original materials. The summation of this project is a presentation to the trainers on how the materials were used, how they could be improved and how they might be used in another context.