TESL Course Aims

As a graduate of the International House Sol Group 4-week (Introductory) TESL Diploma Course, you can expect to know:

• How to manage an ESL classroom
• How to lesson plan with confidence (using a variety of teaching approaches) and be able to meet your Teaching Objectives, as well as your Personal Teaching Objectives
• English grammar and ways to effectively teach a variety of grammatical points at different levels
• Phonology (IPA chart), ways to teach pronunciation successfully (stress, syllables, intonation, etc.)
• How to assess your students’ needs
• How to motivate your students
• How important Socio-Cultural awareness is in the ESL classroom
• How to adapt to and accommodate different learning styles
• Different ways to error correct
• How to prepare your resume (when applying for ESL teaching positions), what to expect during an interview and what to ask in an interview

TESL Syllabus

• Methodology / Approaches: Grammar Translation, Audio-Lingual, Communicative Language Teaching, Total Physical Response, Natural and Direct Approach, Task-based Learning and Lexical Approach
• Lesson Planning: ESA, Task-based, PPP, TTT and Situational Presentation. (5 lesson will be peer taught and taught in an ESL classroom)
• Teaching Skills: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing. Teaching grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation / intonation and slang / idioms
• Grammar Tutorials: Parts of Speech, Count and Non-Count Nouns with Quantifiers, Verb Tenses, Modal Verbs, Conditional Sentences, Active Voice and Passive voice
• Phonology and Pronunciation Workshops: IPA Chart, Vowels and Consonants, Manner and Place of Articulation, Word and Sentence Stress, Syllables, Intonation, Connected Speech (Assimilation, Elision)
• Knowing Your Learners: Auditory, Kinaesthetic and Visual. Multiple Intelligences, Motivation, Communicating with Learners, Needs Assessment and Socio Cultural Awareness, Young Learners
• Classroom Management: Role of the Teacher (Monitoring, Participating or Vanishing), Giving Instruction, Seating, Pair / Group / Solo Work, Eliciting Techniques, Concept Checking, Board Use, TTT vs. STT, Problems in an ESL classroom and solutions
• Error Correction: Learn when and how to error correct. Fluency vs. Accuracy, Writing, etc.
• Language Acquisition: First and Second
• Activities, Techniques, Warmers and Fillers: Lexical Games, Storytelling, TV, DVD, Songs and Music, Computers and Internet, etc.
• Employment Workshop: (during the last week of the course)
• Observations: (On-site) 10 hours watching experienced International House classroom teachers in practice
• Peer Teaching: Observation of peers
• Supervised Teaching: (On-site and prearranged) 10 hours teaching ESL students. Post lesson feedback session
• Assignments: 3 observation reports, 1 oral presentation and 1 essay