On the Trinity Cert TESOL Course

1. What happens on arrival?

We want you to settle in and get to know your fellow trainees as quickly as possible so we will have a welcome drink on the evening before the course begins. We will also give you a welcome pack (with maps and information about shops and other local facilities) on the first day of the course.

2. What’s a typical day like?

Our 4-week, intensive, full-time courses are not for the faint-hearted! 8-hour days, 5 days a week for 4 weeks in a row can be intense, partly due to the huge variety of activities our teacher trainees engage in every day: input sessions (methodology, grammar, lexis, phonology, class management and techniques, etc.), lesson-planning, teaching practice, report-writing, completion of assignments, foreign language classes, case studies, … and lots more!

Our part-time courses (from October to June) have the same content but teacher trainees only attend one morning a week, and the work is spread out over 9 months.

3. Who are the tutors?

Meet our team!

4. Who are the students in the practice classes?

The students in our trainees’ practice lessons are real learners of English, and, as such, provide an authentic classroom experience for trainee teachers. Although several components of our Trinity Cert TESOL Course deal with teaching teenagers, children and younger learners, the students in trainees’ practice classes are adults, Spanish speakers and resident in Cordoba

5. Can you describe the input sessions?

Trainee teachers attend 69 input sessions related to Teaching Skills, Language Awareness (Grammar, Lexis and Phonology), preparation of the Learner Profile and the Materials Assignment (to be presented to Trinity College London‘s external moderator). More details about the input sessions here.

6. What written work must I complete?

You will have to do 7 written assignments during the course:

  • Language Awareness Exam: You complete a written test of your knowledge of the grammar, vocabulary and phonology covered in the input sessions. You can complete this test in your own time before the end of the course.
  • Materials Assignment: You create original material to use with your students in the classroom and evaluate it afterwards.
  • Guided Observation Journal: You keep a record of your thoughts and reflections on the four classes given by an experienced teacher which you have observed.
  • Teaching Practice Portfolio: You keep a record of your teaching practice sessions, evaluating and reflecting on the experiences.
  • Learner Profile: You conduct a case study of one of your students, analysing the challenges that face them.
  • Unknown Language Portfolio: You keep a record of your experience of learning a new language and your reflections on these experiences.
  • Final Summary (sometimes called ‘Reflections on Teaching Practice’): Towards the end of your course you will be required to write a Final Summary. This is a short assignment in which you will be expected to reflect on your development as a teacher, on what you have learnt, on your strong points and your weak points, and on areas in need of improvement.

7. How will I be assessed?

Teacher trainees are assessed on all components of the course:

UNIT 1 (Teaching Practice): Written and oral feedback + formal grading for each lesson taught

UNIT 1 (Teaching Practice Portfolio): Continuous and end-of-course appraisal + formal final grade

UNIT 1 (Guided Observation Journal): Written and oral feedback for each journal entry (#4) + formal final grade

UNIT 2 (Language Awareness & Skills): Written Language Awareness Test + formal final grade

UNIT 3 (Learner Profile): Continuous and end-of-course appraisal + formal final grade

UNIT 4 (Materials Assignment Portfolio & Interview): Assessed Externally (Trinity College London Moderator) + formal final grade

UNIT 5 (Unknown Language Journal): Continuous and end-of-course appraisal + formal final grade

8. What happens at the end of the course?

On completion of the course, trainee teachers are given their Provisional Internal Result:

Strong pass: 3-4 strong passes (as long as one of the strong passes is in Unit 1)
Pass: 5 passes / 2-3 passes + 1-2 strong passes
Below Standard: 1 or more units referred
Fail: 1 or more units failed

On receipt of Trinity College London’s external moderator’s report, trainee teachers are given their Final Result (integrating Pass or Refer for Unit 4):

Strong pass: 3-5 strong passes, as long as one of the strong passes is in Unit 1
Pass: 5 passes / 3-4 passes + 1-2 strong passes
Below Standard: 1 or more units referred
Fail: 1 or more units failed

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