Trinity CertTESOL

Trinity CertTESOL (The Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

This certificate is validated by Trinity College London – the oldest examinations board in the world.

The Trinity CertTESOL is almost as well recognised as the Cambridge CELTA. The syllabus for the Trinity CertTESOL covers the same areas as the Cambridge CELTA such that the contents of the course are practically interchangeable in terms of preparing you to teach English as a Foreign Language. The Trinity CertTESOL allows scope for providers to adapt and add to the course contents, for example, by extending to a 5-week course and integrating more methodology, teaching practice, or input on different areas of teaching, such as ‘Younger Learners’ and ‘Business English’.

Even though the name of Cambridge is universally known, the Trinity CertTESOL qualification is also highly respected and considered by organisations such as the British Council, as being an equivalent qualification.

The Trinity CertTESOL course (courtesy of Trinity College London)

The CertTESOL is the first level of qualification you can take in TESOL. Trinity validates or approves over 110 training institutions in all sectors, private and state, in the UK and overseas, to run these courses. Courses last for at least 130 hours and may be four weeks full-time (the shortest length) or anything up to a year part-time.

Trainees have to complete the whole course, including various written assignments and a minimum of six hours' teaching practice-i.e. proper teaching with real students. They have to pass all key components of the course to get a certificate.

Not everyone who wants to do a course can be accepted. There are entry criteria: individual course providers will tell you what these are. They relate to age, educational qualifications, language skills and suitability for teaching. All course providers hold selection interviews.

Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Aims of the Trinity CertTESOL

The Trinity College London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL) is designed for those with little or no experience of teaching English. It equips them with the basic skills and knowledge needed to take up a first post as ESOL teachers and gives them a firm foundation for self-evaluation and further professional development. It is emphasised that this is intended as an initial TESOL training qualification.

Entry requirements

Trinity’s essential entry requirements for applicants are:

• minimum age 18 on entry to the course (or to the pre-course distance learning phase if there is one)
• as a minimum, qualifications for entry to higher education in the UK or applicants’ own education systems
• competence in written and spoken English appropriate to a teacher of English, whether English is applicants’ first, second or foreign language: the varieties of written and spoken English deemed appropriate for a teacher of English include regional and world varieties as well as British Standard English and Received Pronunciation, but successful applicants’ levels of competence in English must be of a standard sufficient to enable them to perform the function of role models as language teachers
• an awareness of the significance of the structure and functions of English in teaching the language
• the willingness to work cooperatively as a member of the whole training group and respond constructively to feedback on personal performance
• the potential for combined study including language analysis and practical training that is rigorous and demanding of time, energy and emotional stamina: full-time intensive and part-time extensive courses make rather different demands on trainees in this respect.

Courses

Each course runs for a minimum of 130 programmed hours. Every trainee has to attend a full course and complete all assignments, including teaching practice, to the required standard in order to qualify for the award. A minimum of 15 hours’ private study is usually also required.

Learning Objectives

Successful trainees will be able to demonstrate the following on completion of the course :

a. knowledge of the main phonological, lexical and syntactic features of contemporary English
b. awareness of the learning needs of individuals or groups of learners, and of the motivation of learners in a variety of cultures and environments
c. ability to establish rapport, create and maintain learners’ interest
d. ability to draw up a range of lesson plans with clear and achievable aims, using appropriate methods for learners with various needs
e. ability to manage and stimulate active participation among a class of learners and provide a relevant learning context and learning opportunities in relation to their learning objectives
f. ability to evaluate, use and adapt published material and create simple teaching material, which may include visual aids, audio, video and information/communications technology
g. broad understanding of the main advantages and disadvantages of various language teaching approaches
h. ability to evaluate their own effectiveness as teachers and to work cooperatively as members of a teaching team or group
i. awareness of the need to continue their professional development as ESOL teachers after training in a teaching post and through private study, further training or participation in professional networking events
j. awareness of the means of identifying a TESOL post after training, including using the media and professional associations, and of the main issues relating to employment in this area that may affect their future security and further professional development.

Course content

Each programme will include the following components to be formally and individually assessed:

Unit 1: Teaching skills

Trainees develop:
• an understanding of basic TESOL methodologies and approaches in a manner appropriate to course and lesson aims, and the learners’ background and learning objectives
• the ability to use a variety of teaching materials and an awareness of the key features required of coursebooks and printed materials
• the ability to balance the requirements of accuracy and fluency in teaching English
• the potential for self-evaluation and professional development through further training.

All trainees will complete a minimum of:
• six hours’ teaching practice with genuine classes of no fewer than six learners, observed and assessed by experienced tutors
• eight hours’ observation of experienced teachers teaching genuine learners (four hours of English classes and four hours of other language classes)
• the preparation of a teaching journal to include lesson plans, self-evaluation and comment by tutors that records trainees’ progress and consolidates their perceptions of effective teaching strategies.

Unit 2: Language awareness

Trainees develop:
• an understanding of the basic relationship between linguistic form (phonological, lexical and syntactic), function and meaning in standard English and the principal concepts and terminology used to describe the structure and use of English
• the ability to describe and teach the above in terms of language skills and sub-skills and to develop them in a language learning syllabus
• the ability to teach the above in a communicative context and assess their learners’ competence in these areas
• an understanding of the practical application of phonetics and phonology. Reference will be made to spoken and written English, and to the relative roles of British Standard English and other varieties of English, UK and worldwide.

Unit 3: The learner profile

Trainees address the needs of an individual learner through the preparation of a linguistic profile and needs analysis for one learner of English and the preparation of a one-to-one lesson. The analysis will focus on the learner’s cultural background, previous language learning experience and aims, linguistic strengths and weaknesses and the main features of her or his mother tongue.

Unit 4: The materials assignment

Trainees plan, produce, use and evaluate a selection of classroom teaching materials of principally their own design and prepare a written rationale and evaluation describing the following : the materials and the learners for which they are intended; the ways in which they are to be used; ways in which they might be adapted for other learners; the ways in which they were and were not successful when used in teaching practice. (See also under Assessment.)

Unit 5: The unknown language

Trainees receive four hours’ tuition with an oral/aural bias in an unknown foreign language through the medium of that language only, to gain first-hand experience of a learner’s difficulties and to see in practice some of the methods and approaches introduced to them elsewhere. They record their perceptions of their experiences as learners through a written
Journal which will form part of the final assessment.

Professional awareness and development
Successful trainees demonstrate their professional awareness of the needs of other colleagues in the team, teaching and non-teaching, and the value of mutual support within the teaching learning- training environment. They must demonstrate a commitment to further professional development through a combination of reflective practice, and informal and formal discussions and training. They must also have an awareness of the principal employment sectors in their field and sources of information on employment and employers.

Assessment
Assessment procedures : Assessment for the CertTESOL can be provided only at those organisations whose courses are currently validated by Trinity. Trainees are given clear guidance at the start of every course as to how their written and practical work is be assessed. All Trinity validated courses are visited at the end of the course by an independent moderator
appointed and trained by Trinity. The moderator talks to all trainees in groups and then individually.

Independent assessment: From October 2003, all trainees are interviewed by the moderator for a period of fifteen minutes to discuss their work for the Materials Assignment (Unit 4).

The moderator assesses them as Pass or Refer on this Unit. Trainees must prepare carefully for the interview.

Moderation of other written work: Moderators sample all other written work by trainees, including journals for teaching practice, guided observation, unknown language and the learner profile, together with any other assignments including tests of grammar and phonology. Work is assessed for quality of content and relevance, and also for spelling, punctuation and grammatical expression.

Entries and fees
Individual course providers set their own course fees. A moderation fee payable to Trinity is charged to every trainee by the training organisation in addition to, or combined with, the course fee. An entry made in the name of one trainee may not be transferred to another trainee. It should be noted that course and moderation fees are charged for training and moderation, whether or not trainees are awarded a Trinity Certificate.

Certification
Trinity awards its certificate to all trainees who have met the required standard on the appropriate assignments (including teaching practice), who have attended the full course and who have shown their commitment to the training process. Trainees must pass all five main course units at the end of the course or following referral (re-submission of some assignments), if this is thought appropriate, in order to be awarded the Trinity certificate. Trinity does not award individual grades at this level of training although some training organisations do so. This grade does not appear on the Trinity certificate.

Provision for trainees with special needs
Trinity welcomes interest from prospective trainees with special needs. Before a trainee is accepted on to a CertTESOL course, the course provider discusses in detail with her/him the nature of any special needs, including mobility difficulties. The trainee discusses with the course provider the means by which course provider or trainee can ensure that the trainee can follow the course and have a reasonable opportunity to complete all assignments to the necessary standards. These details are communicated to Trinity by the course provider before the candidate is accepted onto the course.

Trainees should note that the same standards of assessment apply to all trainees. Only in the conduct of the course or assessments is allowance made, where appropriate, for a trainee’s disability. Trainees who have special needs (in particular those registered blind, partially sighted, deaf
or hearing-impaired, or those with other physical disabilities) must demonstrate that they can handle, supplement or provide effective substitutes for the usual range of language-teaching equipment in the classroom (such as board, audio and video equipment). All trainees must be able to identify individual students and correct their work on the spot.
If a trainee suffers from dyslexia or has difficulties with reading or writing skills, (s)he must supply a report from an educational psychologist (a chartered educational psychologist, a full or affiliate member of the Association of Educational Psychologists or a person employed by a local education authority as an educational psychologist). Reports from psychologists of other disciplines (e.g. clinical) or non-psychologists are not acceptable.

There is no fixed extra-time allowance for teaching practice or for the completion of assignments for trainees with special needs. This must be agreed between individual trainees, course providers and Trinity where necessary.