COURSE GOALS

By the end of the SIT TESOL Certificate Course, participants will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an awareness of the principles of language learning and teaching theory;
  • Plan an ESOL lesson;
  • Teach an ESOL lesson;
  • Reflect on their own and their peers' teaching, in order to identify what helped and hindered learning;
  • Develop action plans based on their reflections, and make purposeful changes in their teaching based on those plans;
  • Work cooperatively and respectfully as a member of a group.

ASPECTS of the COURSE

The SIT TESOL Certificate Course is based on the concept of EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. There is complex research and theory behind the specific model we use on the course, which you can read more about elsewhere on the Internet. Basically, though, it boils down to "learning by doing" or "hands on" learning, and learning from reflection - seeing what went right or was not successful in your own and your peers' lessons, and planning future lessons based on the new insight gained from previous experience.

These are the main aspects of the coursework:

  • Participating in INPUT SESSIONS - these are sessions conducted by the course trainers, dealing with all aspects of ESOL learning and teaching. They are almost exclusively learner centered, meaning that participants take an active role in their learning. In addition to being opportunities for participants to learn session content, the input sessions are also models of good teaching practice in which participants can see a variety of teaching methods and techniques in action.
  • PLANNING LESSONS for real EFL learners. Lesson planning during the course happens in various ways - some aspects of planning take place in a team, some is done individually. At the start of the course the trainer will provide a high level of support and guidance during the planning process; as the course progresses, participants will be given more freedom to demonstrate their ability to plan independently.
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  • TEACHING ESOL LESSONS to real students. This is the heart of the course, and is where participants have the chance to develop their real world, practical teaching skills and practice new methods and techniques.
  • Participants will also OBSERVE LESSONS conducted by the trainers and their peers, teaching real ESOL learners. This allows participants to see models of good teaching practice in action, and helps them to develop their skill of observation.
  • After teaching and observing ESOL lessons, participants will reflect on them during FEEDBACK SESSIONS. The trainer leads these sessions and provides support and structure, and as the course progresses participants are given more freedom and independence as their skills in observation and reflection increase.
  • There are a number of READING assignments during the course. The texts assigned reinforce and expand on key concepts covered in the input sessions.
  • Finally, there are a number of WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS that are given as homework during the course. All of these assignments are practical and reflective in nature rather than academic.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The SIT TESOL Certificate course as delivered at The MODERN Institute is based on an intensive four week schedule. The course consists of:

  • 130 hours of course content overall;
  • Minimum of 6 hours of observed practice teaching;
  • Minimum 20 hours observation of ESOL lessons;
  • 3 extended written assignments;
  • 10 reading assignments;
  • A final learning project and creation of a course portfolio.

MODULE STRUCTURE / COURSE TOPIC AREAS

The course follows a module structure, covering the following main topic areas:

  • Learning
  • Teaching
  • The speaking skill, and ESOL speaking-focused lessons
  • The reading skill, and ESOL reading-focused lessons
  • Language, grammar, vocabulary, and ESOL language-focused lessons
  • The listening skill, and ESOL listening-focused lessons
  • Culture as a focus in ESOL lessons

Other secondary topics that are covered include writing lessons, correcting written work, music in the ESOL classroom, the ESOL job market, and teaching younger learners.

In addition, each course is tailored to the needs of the particular group of participants, and includes a number of input sessions specifically requested or selected by the participants.

You can find some more specific and detailed information about this course on our TESOL FAQ page.