| So you're interested in Teaching English as a Foreign | | | | in English. Perhaps you've had training in how to write |
| Language [TEFL] but you don't know which course | | | | an essay or a letter yourself. Any good course will |
| might be for you? Or maybe you'd just like to know | | | | offer specific tips for helping your learners cope better |
| more about what to expect on day one on a course | | | | with these aspects of using English. As always, expect |
| you've already booked? Well, there are a variety of | | | | the activities to be motivating, fun and interactive as |
| courses to choose froTEFL courses, 4-week intensive | | | | you build your own awareness. You can also expect |
| certificates, and a 10-week diploma. The content of all | | | | tips on how to use music in the classroom as part of |
| of these courses is broadly similar, but the depth of | | | | your course. |
| training varies from course to course. Below are some | | | | Experience how language learning feels |
| descriptions to give you an idea of what you might | | | | At some point on any face-to-face TEFL course, you |
| expect on your TEFL course. | | | | will have at least one lesson in a foreign language. You |
| Learning through doing activities | | | | don't have to be any good at languages yourself to |
| Probably the very best thing about a TEFL course is | | | | enjoy this part of the course, and if you find it all |
| that the learning happens through actually doing | | | | gobbledygook - never mind! It's your chance to |
| activities, rather than long theoretical explanations. This | | | | experience what it feels like to be a language learner - |
| is true even at diploma level, although discussion forms | | | | something that helps every teacher to empathise with |
| a greater part of the study on diploma courses, since | | | | their learners. It's also a great way to learn tips on |
| by then you'll have plenty of teaching experience and | | | | classroom organisation, for example, how to give |
| your aim is to perfect the skills you have. In all cases, | | | | instructions clearly using mime and gesture and so on. |
| your tutors want to encourage you to think about | | | | Learning by watching |
| what they already know, so they provide plenty of | | | | Having the chance to do some classroom observation |
| opportunities to chat things through with others on the | | | | is an integral part of any course. Online courses often |
| course. You and your fellow tutees will be given the | | | | give you video clips to watch, so you can begin getting |
| chance to try out different exercises and materials, | | | | an idea of what lessons are like. On weekend courses, |
| which usually involves interacting with each other. This | | | | you will watch your peers teach at various times and |
| is invariably terrific fun, so although you'll feel tired, it's | | | | on CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL courses, formal |
| more likely to be from the challenge and excitement | | | | classroom observations are an important part of the |
| than anything else. | | | | learning. This safe environment makes it much easier |
| Introduction to grammar | | | | to analyse what is happening in the classroom than |
| We all know an incredible number of words (about | | | | when you are standing at the front, concentrating on |
| 50,000 on average) and grammar is simply the means | | | | leading the lesson. You'll learn loads from this aspect, |
| for stringing this vast vocabulary into some kind of | | | | whether it's picking up tips from watching an excellent |
| order so we understand each other. There are | | | | teacher, or empathising with someone whose activity |
| patterns and rules to think about, but you won't have | | | | is not going as well they had hoped. And don't be |
| to learn it all in one day! Your tutor will use activities | | | | afraid of making mistakes yourself - it's all part of the |
| applied in a real EFL classroom and will usually break | | | | learning process! Nobody expects perfection and it |
| down the learning into manageable chunks. Many | | | | can fun if the odd bit of controlled chaos breaks out! |
| trainees are fascinated when they find out all the | | | | Teaching practice with feedback |
| interesting reasons for why we say what we say. A | | | | On any classroom TEFL course, part of your day is |
| Weekend TEFL Course will touch on a few aspects | | | | given over to guided lesson planning and you will be |
| of grammar, but you can expect to study in much | | | | given materials and suggestions to teach from. Many |
| more depth if you supplement this with an online TEFL | | | | tutees enjoy creating some of their own materials |
| course or do an intensive 4-week course. Even in | | | | during lesson planning in order to make the lesson |
| these comprehensive courses, you won't fully learn | | | | come to life. After preparing, it's time to attend lessons, |
| grammar's intricacies, so much of the teaching will raise | | | | and these vary significantly according to the course |
| your awareness and guide you on to further study. | | | | you are doing. On a weekend course, your students |
| Tutors are very patient and understanding when it | | | | are likely to be others doing the course with you |
| comes to this aspect, so don't worry if you find it a bit | | | | whereas on 4-week intensive and 10-week diploma |
| tricky. | | | | courses, you will be teaching real English students. The |
| Pronunciation information | | | | important factor is that you stand in front of a class |
| Just think about how to say this sentence: | | | | and teach some aspect of the English language. Your |
| "Get me some bread," said Fred. | | | | aim is to use the ideas from earlier in your course to |
| At a glance you can see that similar sounds have a | | | | get them practicing in a fun, engaging way. |
| different way of being spelt. We've got get, bread, said | | | | Analysis and evaluation |
| and Fred all with an /e/ sound. Any TEFLcourse will | | | | Some of your peers and your tutor will have been |
| provide fun activities for you to help your students | | | | watching your lesson. So after teaching, there is the |
| practice the pronunciation of individual words. This is | | | | chance to get feedback on how it went. You are also |
| important because, as you can see, spelling often isn't | | | | encouraged to evaluate your own experience, |
| a great deal of help! As mentioned above, the longer | | | | focusing especially on what went well and considering |
| your course, the greater the level of detail on | | | | any changes you would make if you had the chance |
| pronunciation. We also have to think about intonation, | | | | to do it all over again. This part can be very |
| stress and the many other aspects of pronunciation. | | | | encouraging as you're often your own worst critic and |
| To prepare you for this highly enjoyable feature of the | | | | don't realise just how well you performed. It's a great |
| course, here's a tongue-twister: | | | | feeling to put your training into practice and motivate |
| What noise annoys an oyster most? A noisy noise | | | | your students to learn. |
| annoys an oyster most. | | | | So, what are you waiting for? If you haven't already |
| Teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking | | | | done it book a place on a TEFL course and get ready |
| English language learners also need help developing | | | | for an exciting, interesting, tiring, amusing and challenging |
| skills to cope with reading, writing, listening and speaking | | | | experience! |