TEFL certificate in London | Meet the Academic Team

The Certificate

THE TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON CERTIFICATE IN TESOL

If you are not sure about any of the points we raise — or if we have not covered something which concerns you personally — please do not hesitate to contact us. Ask to speak to one of our Teacher Training Course Advisers who will be pleased to help you.

When you are ready to apply, you can complete the booking form online.

QUESTIONS

Who awards this Certificate?

When is the Certificate awarded?

How is the Certificate awarded?

How widely recognised is the Trinity College Certificate?

How well established is Saint George International?

What other services does Saint George International offer?

Who are the trainers on the Trinity Certificate Course?

What happens on the Course?

What will I be assessed on?

Is the Trinity Certificate Course for me?

What about jobs?

What should I do now?

ANSWERS

Who awards this Certificate?

The Certificate in the Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages is awarded by TRINITY COLLEGE LONDON and is commonly known as The Trinity CertTESOL. This qualification is accredited in England by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority at Level 4 of the National Qualifications Framework. It is accepted by the British Council as an initial TESOL qualification for teachers in its accredited teaching organisations in the UK and in its own teaching operations overseas. Credits are also awarded towards degree programmes offered by the Open University in the UK.

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When is the Certificate awarded?

In order to be awarded the Certificate candidates must follow and successfully complete a course Approved by Trinity College London which provides initial training to those who wish to teach English to speakers of other languages.

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How is the Certificate awarded?

Your practical and written work is assessed by the course tutors and moderated by a Trinity College Moderator who also interviews all trainees personally.

The CERTIFICATE is awarded to those who have successfully completed the course and who have satisfied the Trinity College Moderator at the end of the course.

SAINT GEORGE INTERNATIONAL issues its own final report on each student giving details of achievement in all sections of the course.

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How widely recognised is the Trinity College Certificate?

Over the past 100 years Trinity College has developed a world-wide reputation for academic excellence.

The Certificate in TESOL is recognised by the British Council as a good initial TEFL qualification.

Most language schools both in the UK and abroad recognise the Certificate in TESOL as a suitable qualification for teaching English to speakers of other languages so enabling you to teach in any country in the world where there is a demand for English.

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How well established is Saint George International?

Saint George International is one of the longest-established English language schools in central London. Founded in 1962, we have evolved over the years to become a centre of excellence for English language teaching.

Our English Language teaching is recognised as efficient by the British Council and we are also a member of ARELS.

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What other services does Saint George International offer?

As well as teacher training, we offer a full range of English language programmes to students from all over the world. We always try to give maximum individual attention to our students through a system of small, lively multinational groups, private tutorials and a variety of other classes. In addition we offer our students a self-access centre and library, a multi-media room, a cafeteria and a full and varied social programme.

See our main website at www.stgeorges.co.uk for more information.

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Who are the trainers on the Trinity Certificate Course?

Our trainers are all qualified professionals with extensive teaching experience both in Britain and abroad, and a commitment to high quality TEFL training. Above all they are talented communicators who can make their trainees share their enthusiasm and professionalism in a practical and stimulating way.

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What happens on the Course?

When you train to become a teacher of English it is essential that you develop a greater understanding of the language itself. You will look closely at the way the English language is put together at the level of the word (vocabulary) and the sentence (grammar), and how meaning is derived from these elements.

The sounds we use in English and how we put these sounds together to make words and sentences are also important and must be focused on (phonology).

Besides looking at the language you must also develop an understanding of who the learners are, what their different needs and motivations are and the different situations in which you might teach them (learner awareness). During the course you will write a student profile and plan work for a student based on their specific needs and difficulties.

Of course there is no substitute for practice! The development of teaching skills and lesson planning are central features of the training course. You will teach classes of students at different levels and by the end of the course have a clear idea of what constitutes good classroom practice linked to good lesson preparation. A related aspect is the series of lessons in an unknown foreign language where you will be the student!

Another feature of the course is that you will evaluate a wide range of published materials including videos, books and cassettes. Connected to this is the materials project in which you create usable materials for the classroom.

A mark of a good language teacher is that they are capable of being eclectic and innovative and can draw on a number of different approaches to language teaching. With this in mind you will consider a variety of different ways of teaching English, both current and traditional.

Finally, through observing experienced teachers both on video and in the classroom, and through observation of other trainees you will leave the course with a framework enabling you to evaluate and develop your own teaching skills.

Teaching English to speakers of other languages is a demanding and stimulating profession, giving you the opportunity to travel and live in different parts of the world and to meet people from all walks of life. You will find out that teaching English can be very challenging but also tremendous fun and if you are prepared to work hard you will derive a great deal of satisfaction from it.

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What will I be assessed on?

As well as a continuous assessment of your contribution to the training sessions you will have regular homework and be assessed on the following specific assignments:
• a foreign language journal
• a student profile
• a materials project
You will also be assessed on:
• your lesson planning
• your class teaching
• your ability to respond constructively to teaching practice feedback.

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Is the Trinity Certificate Course for me?

As an internationally-recognised certificate the TRINITY CERTIFICATE in TESOL is widely accepted by language schools everywhere as a suitable qualification for teaching English.

The course we offer is designed for those who have no previous experience and also for those who have some, albeit limited, experience of teaching either English or other subjects but who wish to obtain a professional qualification specific to TEFL.

The course is open to native and non-native speakers of English.

Each course is limited to a maximum of 15 trainees. The course is extremely intensive with 133 hours in 4 weeks – roughly equivalent to 7 hours a day of lectures, tutorials and teaching practice. The course is all the more demanding in that you are expected to work on assignments and preparation outside course hours.

This is a challenging, stimulating and rewarding course and with that in mind we would like to stress that you should have no other commitments during the period of training and that you focus all your energy on the course.

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What about jobs?

We are in a position to offer jobs to trainees on every course we run. Our extensive list of contacts throughout the TEFL world should enable you to take that vital first step into contracted paid employment.

We currently have former trainees working in the following countries:

Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Japan, Russia, The Czech Republic, Macedonia, Brazil, Greece, Turkey, China, Argentina, Taiwan, The Sudan and the UK.

We also have a policy of employing successful trainees at Saint George’s particularly in our busy summer months.

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What should I do now?

As we mentioned in the introduction, if you are unsure about any aspect of the course, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be pleased to discuss any questions you may wish to raise.

When you feel you want to proceed, you should complete the application form for the course you want and return it to us.

On receiving your application, we will contact you with a view to arranging an interview at our school or by telephone if you live a considerable distance from London.

When you obtain a place on one of our courses, you will receive a written confirmation and further instructions.

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