Weekend TEFL Course FAQs
- What is TEFL?
- Who are our courses for?
- What will I learn?
- Who will train me?
- Do I need to be an expert in English grammar?
- How long is the course? How much does it cost?
- Will I get a certificate?
- Will I be able to teach anywhere in the world?
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It refers to the industry and is not a qualification in itself. The ability to speak English is increasingly seen as vital in most parts of the world if people want to get on in life and the demand for teachers is therefore growing. It is possible to get work with no qualifications and no experience, but many prospective teachers prefer to attend a course first. We aim to give you the tools to go out and teach with confidence.
- Who are our courses for?
- Those who are planning to teach abroad and want to learn some basic and essential teaching techniques and skills.
- Those who are unsure if teaching English is really for them and want a “TEFL taster” weekend.
- Overseas teachers of English who want to learn EFL teaching techniques and skills to add to their teaching repertoire.
- People who are re-entering the teaching profession after a gap and want a refresher course
Many people think you need to be able to speak a foreign language if you want to work abroad; however, TEFL involves teaching English through the English language. We will show you how to present and give students practice in grammar and vocabulary; how to manage a class; how to correct students’ errors; how to select and adapt materials; how to plan lessons and how to help your students be more proficient at understanding and communicating in English. Unlike most other course providers, we also include a session on teaching young learners. In Asia, in particular, as much as 80% of teaching can be to this age group.
The teaching on the course involves input sessions from a tutor but the emphasis is on active participation from trainees through working in pairs or small groups. There will also be opportunities to try out the techniques you have learned on your peers. The course is intensive (20 hours) but we aim to make the sessions interesting and useful, with a clear emphasis on the practical not the theoretical.
Your tutors are EFL teachers/teacher trainers with many years’ experience of training would-be teachers both on weekend courses and four-week CELTA courses. They aim to create a supportive learning environment for you while you are on the course so that learning is stress free and enjoyable.
You will certainly need to know your stuff before you start teaching! However, the course does not include input sessions on particular features of English grammar as this is something you can work on yourself in your own time through self-study. We will recommend what we consider to be the best resources on the market for this.
To get the most from the course your English needs to be fluent and accurate and your pronunciation understandable. If it is not, we suggest you improve your English at our language school in Canterbury!
How long is the course? How much does it cost? The courses are run over the weekend and are 20 hours in length (see the upcoming dates section for more detailed information). The cost is £180 per person. The full amount must be paid in advance of the course start or attendance is not possible.
You will have a certificate of attendance at the end of the course as well as details of the modules covered which you can show to prospective employers. A certificate is only issued when there has been full attendance on the course. In addition to a certificate, you will receive input notes which will develop into a manual for you to take away and refer to in the future.
Teachers are in particular demand in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Doing a course is an incredibly useful way of gaining first hand knowledge of the industry and most find teaching English abroad to be an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. The two day course is also a cost-effective and affordable way to ‘dip your toe’ in TEFL to see if is something you would want to pursue as a career.
If you are serious about teaching English in the longer term then we would recommend you take a four week course such as the Cambridge CELTA or the Trinity College Cert TESOL. These courses cost around £1,000 but will enable you to teach almost anywhere. Nevertheless, in some parts of the world, more emphasis is placed by schools on you having a degree rather than on having a TEFL qualification so our courses aim to give you a very useful introduction to the world of EFL (English as a Foreign Language).
If you have any further questions, please feel free to call us on 01227 462016 or e-mail us at info@stpeters.co.uk