LANGUAGE AND METHODOLOGY: A REFRESHER COURSE FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH

Comenius/Grundtvig Code:  UK-2011-1330-001

The course is intended for teachers and other ELT professionals who wish to refresh their working knowledge of English and how it is used and who have a minimum language level corresponding to B2 on the Common European Framework.

Aims and objectives:

• To review how English is used both inside and outside the classroom
• To review the principles and practice of teaching English as a second or foreign language
• To introduce and critically survey recent developments in methodology and the analysis of language for
  teaching
• To examine the relationship between language and methodology
• To encourage course participants to re-examine their own teaching

All course participants receive a pre-course questionnaire, which should be returned prior to the course. This is to ensure that the areas of most relevance to participants are covered.

The Language Focus elements will allow participants to improve their own English in a variety of ways:

• work on grammar at word, sentence and discourse levels
• the grammar of spoken English
• vocabulary extension, including attention to neologisms, idioms, collocations and ‘chunks'
• work on fluency and register
• new developments in English
• language in the media
• classroom language

The Methodology component will be closely linked to the Language element and will include attention to some or all of the following:

• analysis of methods used by teachers in the language component
• varieties of classroom interaction
• roles of teachers and learners
• developments in language teaching methodology, e.g. task-based learning, learning-centred approaches
• reflective practice and classroom research
• trends in testing and assessment

The 50-hour course provision includes intensive tuition by trainers who are experts in the fields of language teaching and methodology, as well as opportunities for reading and research and guest lectures from well-known figures in the field of ELT. Classes will be practical and ‘hands-on' but with reference to relevant theory.

Dates and fees:

Please note that these prices do not include airport transfers.

The school was established in 1995 by directors with extensive experience of ELT worldwide.  It was set up as a specialist teacher development institute to provide courses of the highest quality for teachers from all over the world. The number and range of these courses continues to grow, and the range of work has been extended to cover the following main areas:

• Professional development programmes for EL teachers and trainers
• Professional development programmes for CLIL teachers (using English as a medium of instruction), including vocational teachers
• Modular postgraduate courses up to Masters level for second or foreign language teaching professionals under a programme validated by Leeds Metropolitan University
• CELTA and DELTA training (as an accredited centre for Cambridge ESOL)
• BEC and TKT exam preparation courses by arrangement
• International consultancy
• International project management
• Delivery of short courses, seminars and workshops worldwide
• One-to-one and executive language training

The school has grown to become the biggest single provider of professional development courses for EL teachers and trainers in Europe. It was the first institute to be accredited by the British Council for the provision of teacher development courses and all these courses qualify for either Comenius, Grundtvig or Leonardo funding. It is a member of EnglishUK and an official examination centre for Cambridge exams. It is also one of the very few independent UK organisations accredited to run courses offering qualifications up to Masters level, through a modular programme allowing teachers to choose to go for a PG Cert., PG Dip., or an MA. It also runs BEC and TKT exam preparation courses by special arrangement. Its Cambridge CELTA courses have a 99% pass rate.

Hundreds of courses for thousands of participants from over 60 different countries have been run. As well as running open-enrolment courses, the school works closely with education ministries, regional authorities and institutional partners around the world to design and deliver tailor-made courses. Consultants and trainers are also sent all over the world to help with practical advice and training in the field of English language education.

Homestay accommodation is provided in single study-bedrooms with carefully selected hosts. It comprises bed, breakfast & evening meal each day and light lunch (or packed lunch, as appropriate) at weekends.

Residential accommodation is provided on campus at the University of East Anglia in single study-bedrooms with private bathroom. The accommodation is on a bed & breakfast (B&B) basis in university houses or flats with a shared kitchen/dining room, fully equipped for self-catering.