TEFL study guide

formerly youre facing 20 e erar dents whove parted with their hard-earned cash hoping that you stinker adjustment their lives, its a little late for regrets. Get each(prenominal) fosterage or do your own research solely never walk Into a schoolroom completely unprepargond. A little development is better than no(prenominal) at all. Being an unqualified instructor Most language shallowings sound to professional bodies, which set criteria for commandment staff so that theres a take channelise of quality control. This means that commonly you micklet recover paid work in an incline-speaking coun strive with break a willingness precept qualification.However, there atomic number 18 exceptions to this If the shallow runs Its own training aerogramme for would-be instructors. Charitable and state-run organizations with provide programmed sometimes welcome mess willing to share their knowledge with some others and you occupy some inform experience in return. Chapte r 3 Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 33 If a inform trains staff to use its own pedagogics methods, youve a better obtain of finding work with them without a memorizeing qualification. Big chains worry Calla and Burlier employ staff in this way, dep finaleing on the location.On the other hand, If youre trip out to a part of the world where there are few aborigine face speakers In accidence, but the locals pitch some disposable income, youre often(prenominal) likely to be viewed as a great catch by schools and individual assimilators looking for a give lessons, despite your lack of qualifications and experience. Being a native speaker can be your USPS (unique selling prime), but refine not to be complacent. Many smack instructors boast no training whatsoever but still manage to find work and snap off their skills while In the Job.If you wont be relying on an Income from taster line of business is in all probability all you make. Various organization s offer spend and short run-ins in TOEFL that wee-wee you a taste of what is involved in the Job and help you ecocide whether inform is for you on a long-term basis. In the I-J, for example, Burlier (whom. Burlier. Com) wont employ a teacher who doesnt cod a degree and teaching award. However, if you try for to matchless of their schools abroad, you whitethorn shake the chance to prove yourself on their unpaid training line of merchandise which lasts star to cardinal weeks.Unfortunately, employers dont view all native speakers as equal. ELK, Australian and other accents from economically strong nations are viewed as graduate(prenominal) status and are more(prenominal) sought after. Students tend to mimic the pronunciation of their teachers and any have distinct preferences intimately the accent they want to acquire. Countries that use position as Just atomic number 53 of their national languages often bring influences from the other language (or languages) into th e pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary of their particular variety of slope.Some students find Asian and African varieties of English, for example, less desirable than those of the single-language nations. Whatever your accent, practice speaking clearly and accurately. When you come approaching schools, redact a professional attitude, a sense of conceit and an interest in collaborateing and helping mint. Once you find work, you need more than a great accent to get through the lessons. If a choice of work comes your way, teaching conversation lessons is your best bet for easement yourself into TOEFL.Teaching conversation is a little easier because you can concentrate on teaching less technical areas like fluency, vocabulary and pronunciation and avoid slippery grammar questions until you build up your experience. Its inadvisable to advertise yourself as merely a teacher of conversation lessons though, as this can limit your 34 conk out l acquire Started in TOEFL chances of finding work and you may find yourself feeling pigeonholed nevertheless after eve expanded your skills. It pays to brush up on your own grammar anyway and take an interest in how the English language works. Look at Chapter 15 for info on grammar. ) take well-nigh when and why you say the things you do. Getting initiated If you limit to teach for more than a few months, make a reasonable living at TOEFL, and give your students value for money, you really should invest in a TOEFL certificate configuration of 100 hours or more. Teachers at this direct are officially called TOEFL initiated. Most FEEL teachers re of import at this level as this is what the absolute majority of employers squire from Job applicants. Before enrolling on a certificate escape, get by who you want to teach and where.Each country has its own mea undisputablements and preferences, so failing to experience the criteria for visa applications and the standards set by local employers hampers your chanc es of finding work. The I-J TOEFL market is a prime example. The two strands of English course providers are the hidden welkin and the public sector Private sector The more established private language schools tend to be accredited by the British Council who waitress FEEL teachers to be graduates (in any lied) and to hold the CELT (Certificate in English actors line Teaching to Adults) or qualifications.Other qualifications are technically acceptable but school managers have to Jump through hoops to convince inspectors that their teachers are meet if they dont meet the British Councils standard for FEEL teaching qualifications or if their qualifications are not so well known. As a result they usually avoid hiring anyone who doesnt fit the profile or may cause them supererogatory work. Public sector On the other hand, in the public sector, schools and colleges have to meet ever changing government standards.So these days, all new teachers have to take a Preparing to Teach in th e Lifelong Learning Sector qualification. Unfortunately, one certificate alone wont easily grant you entry into both(prenominal) sectors. The point being that, if you know where, who and how you want to teach, you can do your research and distinguish the counterbalance course. Look at TOEFL Job ads specific to the country you intend to work in and even call or email a few employers to find what exactly they are looking for. If you need a work permit in advance you can work as a teacher in your chosen destination, check whether you qualify for one.If not, you may have to put in bit Chapter 3 Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 35 more planning, otherwise youll find yourself dependent on dodgy operators who run courses with poor facilities and laughably low pay. Find out too if the schools there have a strong preference for one qualification over another. Becoming a qualified teacher A fully qualified FEEL teacher is someone who has a diploma in TOEFL and has at least(pr enominal) two years full-time experience in teaching FEEL. The best-known diplomas are the Cambridge DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) and Trinity Dippiest (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers ofOther Languages). You may too have a masters degree in let or a similar field (such as Applied Linguistics) in addition to teaching experience. These qualifications are for people who want to make do in their career and apply for managerial positions such as director of Studies. You need a qualification like this if youre interested in training roles too. The good news is that all these positions attract higher pay and even if youre teaching the same courses as your less qualified colleagues, youre likely to have a better hourly rate than them.Diploma and masters-level courses are not for the exit hearted. You need to get thorough experience in TOEFL before considering a qualification at this level. Getting on Course After you settle down that some form of trai ning is in order, you need to find the right course. Doing a training course abroad may be cheaper than doing one at home. Entering introductory courses Various organizations offer weekend courses of about 20 hours that introduce you to TOEFL. Courses arent accredited by any of the best-known bodies, so word of mouth is an important indicator of quality.Even though the certificate may have an accreditation stamp, it may be from an organization closely employers havent heard of. So its worth finding out about the tutors qualifications and experience and of what the course consists before parting with your cash. In most cases, courses have a minimum age requirement of 17 or 18. To be honest, you need to have an A-level standard education or similar to get your head nearly it all, but more importantly, you should have the assertion to manage people, which is something teenagers may struggle with unless they contain themselves to teaching small children.Theres no upper age limit, bu t once again, the pace is rather hectic on these courses. Be honest with yourself as you need to be the class of person who can absorb knowledge quickly and put it into practice to get the most benefit out of these TOEFL weekend programmed. Trainees sometimes underestimate what is required of them and end up a little discouraged. So be warned. Weekend courses are fast and barbarous If youre not a native speaker, you usually need to show that youve achieved an travel level of English by passing an exam such as LILTS (International English Language Testing System) with a minimum band mug of 7.However, even if youre a dative speaker, your grammar should be of a reasonably high standard or else you can find yourself doubting your English and losing the confidence of your students. You should know that your English is correct even if you cannot explain why yet. What you can do with this certificate A certificate from a weekend course sort outs employers that youre responsible enough to undergo basic training before applying for a Job. It doesnt mean that youre now a qualified FEEL teacher, regardless of what the advertizing says.In point, after a training weekend, youre likely to feel a big money more enthusiastic and aware of what the job entails. You wont feel ready to go anywhere and teach anyone but at least you know a bit more about how to put a lesson together and the kind of the information students need. View the course as a taster and tell employers that youre keen to develop your skills on the Job. What the course covers A weekend TOEFL course follows similar lines as a full TOEFL certificate because it flavoures on most of the same course components but in a very drawing way.A weekend course should let in Basic grammar Theres off the beaten track(predicate) too much grammar in the English language to teach everything in such a short time, but the course should make you aware of varied catamenia (you may think that theres a past, present and future tense and thats it, but believe me, the truth is a little more complicated). You usually touch on the different kinds of words you use in a fourth dimension too nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.Chapter 3 Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 37 Classroom techniques and activities Very often the tutor treats you as though youre a foreign student and shows you how to handle slow down activities and pair or group work in the classroom. Lesson planning You should expose one of the different formats for planning a Essen so that you know in which order to do things and how to make your lessons fun and effective. An prospect to practice teaching You teach a mini lesson or part of a lesson to volunteer students or to your fellow trainees.The maximum class size should be about 20 a tutor cant effectively teach more than How much it lives A weekend course should be a parcel cheaper (about 25 per cent of the cost) of a full certificate in a school, but dont forget to fac tor in the cost of accommodation and travel too. In the I-J courses cost approximately IEEE for 20 hours training. I- to- I (www. I-to-I. Mom) has been offering weekend TOEFL courses in the I-J, USA, Ireland, Canada and Australia for several years. Signing up for a certificate course TOEFL certificate courses come in a variety of packages these days.You can do intensive or part-time courses or complete a infinite course online or by post. You have to be at least 18 years old to do a TOEFL certificate in most cases, which is practical as youll be managing people in your classroom. Theres no upper age limit. Course providers generally prefer to take students with degrees or a good standard of education (good enough to go to university). Dont desperation if you dont have any aroma qualifications though. Its worth speaking to the school or college in person. If its satisfied that you have a good head on your shoulders and a respectable level of English, it may well accept you.Applicant s with teaching experience are also favored. Most schools ask you to take a test to prove how good your English is, so inform the school beforehand if you have a learning difficulty that affects your writing. If youre a foreign-born speaker, schools conceptualize you to have an exam pass at advanced level in English as well. 38 part l Getting started in TOEFL Intensive TOEFL courses last four or five weeks. Dont try to keep up your part-time Job or even your best-loved TV show because every waking moment is filled with lesson plans and formulates. However, this grapheme of course is a great way to Jump in and get started.If that sounds a bit too much for you, plenty of courses are spread head over three months or even a year, enabling you to discover sessions in the evenings and at weekends, so you can fit it in around your Job. In any case, you need over 100 hours of tuition, plus feedback and training time to gain your certificate. With a bachelor or masters degree in any f ield and an FEEL teaching certificate youre eligible to apply for the majority of vacancies. To be honest, many university graduates have no idea what to do in a classroom so some employers bypass your level of education if youve managed to prove yourself and passed a certificate course.What the course covers The overall aim of certificate courses is to provide initial training for people who want to teach English to speakers of other languages and to make sure that they meet the criteria for teaching by demonstrating English usage accurately, by giving well balanced lessons and by evaluating their lessons. Objectives for the course usually include familiarizing trainees with all those areas that go into English language teaching methodology, classroom procedures, techniques and aids, language awareness and testing.You have the opportunity to teach and to find out how to To help trainees learn about the main pronunciation, vocabulary and structural features of current English. To r aise awareness of the learning call for of individuals or groups of learners and of the motivation they have in a variety of mickle and environments. To make sure that trainees can work cooperatively as members of a teaching team or group. / To help trainees develop the ability to pee-pee and maintain the learners interest and establish rapport.Chapter 3 Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 39 To make sure that trainees can plan lessons with clear and achievable aims using methods appropriate to the learners levels of skill and age. To give trainees basic classroom management skills and the ability to provide relevant activities. To make sure that trainees are able to use and adapt print teaching material and create their own basic teaching material. To set off the main advantages and disadvantages of various language teaching approaches. To ensure that trainees can pass off their development in TOEFL after completing the course.Before you start, the course provider sen ds you an FEEL reading list and often asks you to complete a work parole that provides an introduction to three important areas of the course. One is the unknown language section, the instant is a grammar section and the third section is about how to teach. Some courses include lessons in a foreign language so that you understand how the students in your class feel. Through these lessons you can gain the dual perspective of both a teacher and a student and experience various teaching techniques.You produce a project based on these lessons near the end of the course. Teaching practice is an essential part of the course so expect real live students to volunteer to take part in your lesson. You also have the opportunity to see various other experienced teachers at work and your tutor gives you continual advice, feedback and support. Courses with a learner profile project give you the opportunity to get to know one FEEL student a bit better and analyses their language skills in depth. For the project, you usually admit an interview with the student and record it.In addition you set them a write task so that you can write about their strengths and weaknesses and discuss ship canal in which you would help them through FEEL lessons. You may teach one lesson with the student in which you address one of that students weak points. A materials project is designed to help you use and adapt basic materials, such as a photograph, in the classroom. Youre asked to show how to use the same set of materials with students of different levels and abilities. At the end of the course theres often a test on grammar and phonology (pronunciation). 40 Part l Getting Started in TOEFLSpeak to local schools and colleges about their teacher training programmed. CELT and Trinity Creosotes are the most wide accepted certificates for the private sector check whether your university runs TOEFL courses in the summer. The average cost of the CELT and the Trinity Creosotes is II,OHO. You may need to consider accommodation and travel cost too if no course provider exists where you live. Keeping your surpass place learning courses never share the same high profile as taught courses because they dont let you experience teaching practice, but they have their own advantages.Many people find it easier to fit the course into their normal lives by studying in this way. You can go at your own pace and distance courses are a lot cheaper. On the other hand, you may never meet a student until youre teaching a class yourself and your tutor can only offer feedback on your written work not your substantial performance. So distance learning has a few disadvantages too. Many people who already have a suitable teaching qualification, such as a PACE (Postgraduate Certificate in Education), but have no experience in FEEL choose to take a distance course because the certificate itself is not as important for them.The skills to do with presentation, classroom management and lesson planni ng are transferable, so with this kind of course its easier for the teacher to choose which areas to spend more time on. Overseas employers appreciate the fact that youve taken the trouble to study and get yourself a certificate, and this tends to carry more weight than the actual certificate itself. This is because the organizations offering distance courses arent as well known as CELT or Trinity, which provide taught courses. This area of the market has far less quality control than taught courses.However, the College of Teachers is one body which accredits distance TESTS (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) courses as does ACTED, which is specifically for distance courses in TESTS. Courses accredited by these bodies offer a reasonable standard of professionalism and someone to talk to if the course or course provider falls seriously below your expectations. Chapter 3 Examining Courses, Qualifications and Jobs 41 Most distance certificate courses run along the same li nes as taught courses (see information in the preceding Signing up for a certificate course).