Course Contents

Foreign language lessons ( 4.5 hours)

In order for you to gain an inside view of the language learning process and to be able to empathise with your future students, in week 1 you will be given 3 lessons in an unknown foreign language. These lessons will be taught entirely in the foreign language using the same communicative methodology you will use to teach English, giving you first hand insights into various teaching strategies and techniques, which you will be asked to reflect on, both from a student’s and teacher’s perspective.

Language awareness : ( 21 hours )

• Grammar:
  Through a series of input sessions and workshops throughout the course, you will be introduced to all the basic grammar you will need to be an effective EFL teacher. These sessions will also provide you with useful teaching ideas to help teach grammar in a communicative manner.
  
• Phonology:
  
  • The English sound system compared with the sound systems of Spanish and other European languages.
  • The use of I.P.A. (International Phonemic Alphabet) in EFL teaching.
  • Consonants, vowels and diphthongs in British and American English.
  • Word stress patterns
  • Sentence stress, rhythm and intonation.
  • Features of connected speech

TEFL methodology and teaching skills ( 36 hours )

• Lesson demos and workshops:
  
  • You will be given demonstrations of various skill lesson types. We will look at the most suitable lesson structures for focusing on specific skills, (speaking, listening, reading or writing) and sub skills (grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary).
    
  • We will also look at planning lessons based on different models such as PPP ( Presentation, Practice ,Production) , ARC ( Authentic use, Restricted use ,Clarification ) and TBL ( Task Based Learning )
    
• Learning styles

• Teaching skills:
  
  • Presentation techniques : demo and peer teaching workshop.
  • Teacher language: The art of giving clear, concise instructions.
  • Class management
  • Error correction
  
  
• Exploiting course books
  
• Using dictation in EFL teaching
  
• Teaching private students ( one-to-one )
  
• Tests and examinationsin EFL
  
• Teaching young learners
  
• T.P.R. methodology
  
• Using songs and games in EFL teaching
  
• Using drama in EFL teaching
  
• E.S.P. and Business English
  
• Cultural awareness

Lesson planning : ( 40 hours )

• This takes place in the afternoons after lunch, between 14:00 and 16:00. This is a time for you to prepare your lessons by adapting activities from existing course books or by creating your own materials. However, it is advisable to come to these sessions with lessons already partially prepared.
  
• During the first hour one of the trainers will be available for consultations to offer guidance and suggestions on the appropriateness of lesson plans, sequence of activities, etc.
  
• The second hour is for you to finalise your preparations on your materials and lessons.

Teaching practice and critique (60 hours )

You will teach a minimum of 9 lessons, of which 6 will be observed by a trainer. In the post teaching critique sessions you will be encouraged to develop the ability to assess both your own lessons and those of your peers. We will ensure you teach at least two different levels of EFL learners, e.g. elementary and intermediate, and a good cross section of age groups and abilities. The assessment of your teaching practice is continuous and will tend to reflect your overall progress.

Written assignments :

• Foreign language learning journal.
  A reflective journal based on the 3 hours of tuition in a foreign language. After each lesson you will be encouraged to write up your observations and reflections on the learning experience, both from a student's and a teacher's perspective.
  
• One-to-one project.
  During the course you will also complete a written assignment preparing a lesson for a student in a one-to-one setting. This is done over two meetings with a foreign language student. The first meeting is done to assess the learner's needs and linguistic ability and the 2nd to teach a lesson you have prepared based on the assessment.
  
• Language analysis tests
  There are two language analysis tests on aspects of grammar.
  These are open book tests based on the grammar input sessions and the grammar worksheets done in class.
  
  

If you have any questions about the course programme please feel free to contact us