Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) – Level 5

The Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) course is an internationally recognised initial qualification for teachers of English as a Foreign Language, validated by Trinity College, London. (equivalent to Cambridge CELTA).

The Trinity Certificate in TESOL Level 5 course is intended for those with little or no teaching experience and provides a comprehensive practical introduction to Teaching English to others, however, it is equally accessible to experienced teachers.

It is delivered through taught sessions, discussions, workshops, tutorials, observations and teaching practice placements within the College.

A number of practical assignments will be set. Assessment is through portfolio and examinations. It is assessed internally and moderated externally.

Trainees are required to observe at least four hours of lessons taught by experienced teachers and to teach a minimum of six hours at two different levels, as well as a one-to-one lesson with an individual learner.

Your profile

You are patient, well organised and a good communicator. You have a real interest in the English language and are keen to unite different cultures and nationalities through a shared voice.

Your subject

If you are native to an English-speaking country, or even a fluent English speaker from overseas, you have at your disposal one of the world’s most reliable and desirable skills. The English language is used all over the globe, in significant universal fields such as science, medicine, business and communication. The need for people from all backgrounds to learn English has increased over recent years, and will continue to do so, leading to an urgent need for qualified individuals to teach English to speakers of other languages.

Your course

The Trinity College certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages is an internationally recognised qualification. The programme is designed for those with little or no teaching experience. It aims to develop your in-depth understanding of contemporary English language teaching methodology, and how to apply it in the classroom. As a student, you will spend time observing lessons taught by experienced teachers and teach classes yourself, taking the opportunity to apply theory to practice. The course will equip you to plan, prepare, deliver and evaluate English language classes based on current methodology. You will also develop your own language awareness in the areas of grammar, phonology and lexis, and experience learning an unknown language yourself, in order to identify with the needs of beginner students and how to teach them. You will be taught by tutors who are experienced teacher trainers with wide and varied experiences in teaching English as a foreign language.

Your future

As a graduate, you will have the confidence, experience and qualification to pursue a teaching post anywhere in the world. You will be open to careers in teacher training, management, or materials design and development. Past graduates have established careers in the UK in both the private and public sectors, including summer schools, working with local authorities, and working with migrants and asylum seekers, while others have taken advantage of paid or voluntary opportunities overseas

Aims of a Trinity CertTESOL course

The Trinity CertTESOL is a pre-service teacher training course at Level 5 of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) designed for those who have little or no experience of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Course participants must have a high level of competence in spoken and written English, whether English is their first, second or additional language. The training equips them with the initial skills and knowledge needed to take up posts as ESOL or EFL teachers and gives them a firm foundation for self-evaluation and further professional development.

EFL/ESOL/TESOL/TEFL

• EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language and broadly refers to the teaching of students who are studying English in their own country or in the UK or another English-speaking nation on a short term basis.
• ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages and covers the teaching of those living indefinitely in an English-speaking nation (eg. immigrants, asylum seekers).
• TEFL and TESOL refer to the teaching of these two groups, however, for the purposes of training, they are interchangeable.

The students we have at Colchester Institute are both EFL and ESOL students, and trainees are involved in teaching both groups, often mixed together.

Objectives of a Trinity CertTESOL course

Trainees will be expected to demonstrate the following learning outcomes on completion of the course:

1. Knowledge of the main grammatical, lexical and phonological features of standard English
2. Awareness of the learning needs of individuals or groups of learners, and of the motivation of learners in a variety of cultures and contexts
3. Ability to establish rapport and create and maintain learners’ interest
4. Ability to draw up a range of lesson plans with clear and achievable aims, using appropriate methods for learners with various needs
5. Ability to manage and stimulate active participation among a class of learners and provide a relevant learning environment and learning opportunities in relation to their learning objectives
6. Ability to evaluate, use and adapt published material and create simple teaching material, which may include using the internet, visual aids, audio, video and ICT
7. Broad understanding of the main advantages and disadvantages of various language teaching approaches
8. Ability to evaluate their own effectiveness as teachers and to work co-operatively as members of a teaching team
9. Awareness of the need to continue their development as ESOL teachers
10. Awareness of the means of finding a TESOL post after training and of the main issues relevant to employment in this area

Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) – Level 5 Component Units

Assignment: teaching practice journal compiled throughout the course containing all component elements listed above.

Unit 2: Language Awareness & Skills

This unit covers trainees’ theoretical knowledge of linguistic form (phonological, lexical and syntactic), function and meaning in standard English and how to teach these to learners.  Language Awareness (LA) is used as a generic term covering the areas of lexis, grammar and phonology.  Language Skills (LS) is used as a generic term covering the receptive skills of listening and reading  and the productive skills of speaking and writing.

Assignment: three one-hour written exams in grammar, lexis and phonology.

To see the module description, please click here.

Unit 4: The Materials Assignment

This unit covers the production, adaptation, use and evaluation of simple classroom teaching materials and tasks. The materials adapted/devised by trainees are used in teaching practice lessons. The assignment is externally assessed by a Trinity moderator.

Assignment: ten-minute oral examination conducted by Trinity moderator.

To see the module description, please click here.

Unit 5: Unknown Language

This unit covers teaching methodologies and activities appropriate for beginner learners of a language, through little or no use of their first language (L1). It also introduces lesson planning and contrastive analysis.  The unknown language will be a natural language, ie not an invented or computer language, and this language should be one previously unfamiliar to all of the trainees on the course. Assignment: written portfolio evaluating own experience of learning the unknown language and summarising the implications for teaching beginners.

To see the module description, please click here.

The minimum academic entry requirements for this course are having previously achieved an undergraduate degree at 2:2 or above.

Preferred applicants are those with a degree or equivalent qualification and/or work experience in a field where good communication skills are required.  All applicants should have a high level of literacy and good educational background.

We recognise the value of professional experience. If you do not have the academic qualifications, but have relevant professional experience and a proven ability to succeed, we would welcome your application.

Those whose first language is not English must demonstrate that they have sufficient competency in the language eg. hold the Cambridge Proficiency in English or IELTS Grade 8.

Applicants who are invited for interview will be given a short language test and writing task to complete.

There are usually between 8 and 12 participants on each course, with a maximum of 15.

After successful completion of the course, many trainees have found teaching posts throughout the world. There are numerous opportunities to teach full-time, abroad, and some openings in the UK, although these are mostly part-time or temporary. Voluntary work abroad is also a possibility. Others have found work in the UK, in particular taking up temporary posts in summer schools, offering ‘homestay’ or working with migrant workers and asylum seekers in the local community.

Students may progress to study the Trinity Diploma or Cambridge DELTA after several years’ teaching experience.

Programme Specifications

• International standards of TESOL qualifications require that a valid course must contain at least 100 hours of study time; Trinity courses comprise 130.
• Participants should have the opportunity to undertake observed and assessed teaching practice of at least six hours as part of the course.
• The course is externally validated by a recognised validation body.

Observations & Teaching Practice

Trainees have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers working with classes of English language learners.  Every attempt will be made to ensure that trainees are exposed to a variety of level of learners and to a variety of classroom approaches and techniques.  For the purposes of teaching practice, trainees will be required to teach a minimum of six hours and will be allocated at least two different levels.

Teaching and Learning

A variety of teaching and learning methods is involved: taught sessions, discussions, practical demonstrations, workshops, peer teaching, tutorials, observation of experienced teachers, and teaching practice placements within Colchester Institute.  There are also four foreign language classes in which trainees learn a language that is unfamiliar, in order to appreciate fully the situation of the foreign language learner and how the teacher can best meet their needs.