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The certificate course in teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language (TESL) is a comprehensive introduction to the field of TESL. The course includes theory and its practical application, as both are important in the development of an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.
Travelling, living, and working internationally are excellent ways to gain life experiences in different cultures and societies. Completing this certificate program provides you with the training that makes it easier to find rewarding employment and take advantage of opportunities on your travels.
Our course meets:
· TESL Canada’s Standard 1 (Canada’s national association for Teaching English as a Second Language) www.tesl.ca
· Languages Canada’s standards (Canada’s national association representing quality English and French Language training) www.languagescanada.ca
· Prince Edward Island’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development requirements for teachers upgrades (six credit hours)
Who should take this course?
This course is designed for recent university graduates or for university students who are in their final year of study and are interested in travelling overseas to teach English. It is also applicable to teachers currently working in public or private language schools.
In-class Program:
The program is a 100-hour course offered over a 4-week period with classes from Monday to Friday (9am – 4pm). The non-intensive program is offered over a 3.5 month period, with classes twice a week (3 hours per class) as well as two full Saturdays (9am to 4pm). Students must attend classes and submit a series of assignments. Contact tesl@studyincanada.ca for the next program.
Distance Education Programs:
a) Self-paced program:
The self-paced program is comprised of 13 modules, each requiring approximately 7-9 hours to complete readings and assignments. It is recommended that students complete one module per week. Hence, the minimum length of time to complete the program is 3 months. Students may however, take up to one year to complete all 13 modules. Students are assigned a marker with whom they will correspond via e-mail. The role of the marker is to correct assignments and offer constructive feedback. Students in the self-paced program may begin at any time after they are accepted into the program. Register by downloading the TESL application form:self-paced
b) Group-paced program:
The group-paced program is comprised of 11 weeks, each entailing approximately 12 hours to complete readings and assignments. The course is delivered using Moodle, a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that offers interaction between a facilitator and students. Each course will have an “online” classroom where students have access to a facilitator, other learners and course materials along with a variety of tools, features, and interactions to enhance your learning experience. Minimal internet, email and word processing skills are all that is needed to successfully participate in this group-paced program. Register by downloading the TESL application form:group-paced.(Six students minimum required to offer this program).
Applicants must have:
· the ability to communicate effectively and clearly in English.
· a strong command of the English language (550 TOEFL equivalent, if English is not your first language)
(Those who do not hold a university degree, but do have a valid provincial or state teacher’s license will be considered for acceptance. However, they will not be able to acquire a TESL Canada certificate)
TESTIMONIAL1:
I have just about completed the Advanced Certification in TESL Course at Study Abroad Canada in Charlottetown. In September of 2006, I was hired as an ELL teacher with the Eastern School District so I decided to upgrade my training in this field. Prior to this training, I taught internationally for many years and have always been interested in teaching language and learning about other cultures.
My experience in the TESL course has been invaluable. I really enjoyed learning in a small classroom setting. I am extremely pleased with the professionalism and creativity of both teachers, Paula and Beth. The four strands of language were covered very thoroughly and the assignments in each module were practical and always related to the topic at hand. In many cases, I was able to use lessons that were presented in class in my own classroom. Furthermore, the feedback received from teachers was very helpful. I would highly recommend the TESL course.
TESTIMONIAL2:
I am so excited to be facilitating the TESL certificate program online! I see nothing but benefits for our TESL students. This course is asynchronous (i.e. there are no set class times), which means that participants with busy schedules can log in at any time of the day or night to check the forums, complete assignments, etc. Being a busy mother, I can appreciate how this flexibility could allow students who might not otherwise be able to take career enhancing courses like this to participate fully.
Additionally, although this is a distance learning program (DLP), many of the benefits of an in-person classroom are not lost. When I was training as a teacher, I learned as much from my peers as I did from the professors who taught me. Our virtual classroom encourages active interaction between students through forums where participants share ideas and experience. This kind of sharing through discussion is invaluable in the making of a great teacher. Learners also benefit from the day-to-day support of an experienced instructor.
I am also very enthusiastic about the fact that the class website is so easy to navigate. All that is needed to fully participate are basic email, internet, and word processing skills. In fact, in the last session, I had a student who had never even sent an email before she enrolled in the course. She was able to figure out how to use the course site without much difficulty at all!
I really enjoy getting to know each student and watching them grow as teachers as the course progresses, and I am dedicated to helping every student succeed. This course has so much to offer any teacher of ESL, whether they are just starting out or have been teaching for a few years. The benefits of this program really are unmatched by any in Canada.
Elizabeth Parker, TESL Instructor/Facilitator
TESTIMONIAL3:
I have recently completed the Group-Paced TESL Certificate Program offered by Study Abroad Canada Language Institute. I found this course to be very educational. This was my first online course and I found the Moodle Program to be very user-friendly. The texts were well-chosen and covered a wide range of information on teaching English. The instructor was excellent. The assignments were thought-provoking and also seemed to cover a wide spectrum of information which would be useful to a TESL teacher. I found the instructor’s comments on my assignments helpful and encouraging. She was always available if additional help or information was needed.
Another aspect of the course that I found particularly informative was the discussion forum. Interacting with other students was entertaining, as well as educational, especially since some of the other students had been teaching English and had lots of wonderful ideas and stories which they shared. I had originally planned on doing the online course but I am now so glad that I did the group-paced program. In having deadlines for assignments, I was given the needed incentive to not procrastinate and get the work done. As well, I completed the course in a reasonable amount of time. I have truly enjoyed this course and would recommend it to anyone wishing to complete a TESL course.
Carolyn Gillis
Montague
Prince Edward Island
TESTIMONIAL3:
I have always wanted to be an English teacher. After I graduated from University, I taught for a few years and somehow got side-tracked when I got married, had children and started a family computer business. Last year I decided that I wanted to pursue my teaching career and I enrolled in the Advanced TESL Certificate course at Study Abroad Canada Language Institute.
The training I received gave me the skills and confidence I needed to take the next step. The distance education program allowed me to work at my own pace and the 20-hour practicum gave me hands on experience in an ESL classroom. My on-line marker answered my questions right away and she provided useful and insightful responses to my assignments. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to teach or tutor ESL. Whether you want to teach abroad or stay in Canada, this course will provide the tools you need.
Thanks SAC,
Cheryl vanDuikerken
January 2010
TESTIMONIAL4:
First of all, as it was my first Moodle course, I must admit that I really enjoyed how enjoyable and 'real' the teacher-student interaction, as well as the interaction with my fellow students were. I learnt a lot about myself both as a learner and as a student simply by taking part in the forum's activities, reading and reacting to my fellow students' comments and reflections on a given subject. Topics were relevant and portrayed situations that all ESL teachers have experienced or may experience in the course of their career.
The written assignments were also very relevant to "real-life" ESL teaching and helped me gain a new 'awareness' about my own teaching style.
It is of upmost importance for an ESL teacher to always keep in mind that foreign language pedagogy is unique.
In a nutshell, although this course was hard work, it gave me new energy and rekindled my enthusiasm for teaching ESL. It gave me new confidence in my teaching abilities, yet made me a more humble and sympathetic teacher.
I would recommend this course to anyone who takes his/her ESL career seriously or considers pursuing one.
Karine
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