On-line TEFL Starter Course

The on-line TEFL starter course is an introduction to TEFL. It is aimed at people who would like an effective and flexible low-cost introduction to TEFL, in some cases before going on to take a full face-to-face qualification, such as an intensive 4-week Trinity Cert TESOL.

Course Overview, aims of the course, course content
Why an On-line TEFL Starter course?
How to apply, assessment
The trainers, Course testimonials
Course fees, Terms and Conditions of Enrolment, material, extra reading
What is an oline course like?

Course Overview

All tuition is carried out on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or Moodle. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will send you feedback on each piece of work you complete. Our approach is based around three key features, which ensure on-line learning as effective as possible:

- Challenging, practical tasks.
- Prompt and helpful feedback from your tutor.
- Support and encouragement throughout.

Aims of the course

By the end of the course you will have a greater understanding of how to teach English. The on-line TEFL Starter Course will give you ideas and material to help you start life as a teacher. It will also encourage your ability to reflect which will ensure your continued professional development and successs in the teaching profession.

Course Content

The On-line TEFL Starter Course comprises of 8 modules of approximately 5 hours each. There is flexibility with regard to pace, but we recommend you spend a maximum of 2 months. You can opt to do 5 hours a week for 8 weeks or 10 hours a week for 4 weeks depending on the time you have available. This can be discussed with your tutor.

The On-line TEFL Starter Course covers an introduction to basic TEFL skills and knowledge:

• Good teachers and learners.
• Language Awareness.
• Approaches and methods in ELT.
• Phonology.
• Using Coursebooks and materials.
• Observing and evaluating teaching on DVD.
• Teaching English around the world.

You will need regular access to e-mail and Internet and a DVD player.

Why an On-line TEFL Starter Course?

If you find yourself in one of these situations, the On-line TEFL Starter Course is for you:

• You are already teaching or about to teach but do not have time, money or opportunity to do a full four-week Cert TESOL course. They would like, however, at least a quick guide to the basics of teaching English and a TEFL certificate to show for it.
• You don´t live near a centre where the course is run and need a distance/on-line course in TEFL.
• You are considering a four-week intensive Cert. TESOL course, but would like a taster course in teaching English to see if teaching would suit them and if they can meet the demands.

How to apply

You can apply for the On-line Starter Course by simply completing the application form. We will evaluate it and confirm if you have been offered a place (or explain why you haven't).

Criteria of acceptance
The course is open to native and non-native speakers. Non natives need to demonstrate an intermediate level of English (Level B1, Common European Framework, Cambridge ESOL PET, Trinity Grade 6). They can demonstrate this in the on-line written application form.

Assessment

This is an attendance course, so as long as you complete all 8 modules to an adequate standard you will receive the certificate on completion of the course.

The trainers

Our team of teacher trainers are experienced in teaching English in a range of contexts and training teachers. They are highly qualified with a Trinity Diploma in TESOL or DELTA, a practical as well as academic qualification. Your tutor has experience in on-line learning and teaching and understands how this works on a practical and motivational level. For more on the tutors, have a look at the staff page.

Course Testimonials

I enjoyed the course immensely and not knowing what to expect I found the workload just enough. I was very grateful for the support and flexibility from the tutor. I found the telephone lessons very useful and were great in clarifying any points which I may not have understood. It isn't always easy to study from home but I found the modules clear and easy to understand. The text book was invaluable and gave me a deeper insight into the English language, something I always took for granted. Doing the course has encouraged me to take it further and I look forward to one day doing the 4 week TrinityCert TESOL course.
Lynne Ratcliffe

I really enjoyed this online course and I'm excited to take the classroom course within the next couple of months. I enjoyed the textbook and found it very informative and clear. I also really liked the DVD that came with it. It was great to see teachers putting the ideas of the book in action. It's one thing to read about procedures but quite another to have a visual aide.

My tutor was very prompt, nice and informative. She has given me numerous things to contemplate and has helped me get a really good idea of what I'm getting myself into. She's encouraged me to think about different angles to ideas I hadn't thought of before.

I found the introduction, the program of the tasks given and the tutoring very clear. The most useful (thing) for me about the course was that,the theory, explanations and instructions,were described through real life examples in classrooms.

Course fee

225 euros

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

* Please take note that fees are non-refundable. You need to make sure you have the appropriate English level competency. Please review our "Criteria for acceptance" detailed above.

* Time Limit

It is expected that you finish the TEFL Online course within six months from the date of purchase. We will send you a mid-course announcement stating that you are approximately three months into your six-month limit if you haven't finished the course by then.

* Extension Policy

You may extend your course for an additional two months beyond the original expiration date for an additional fee of 90.00 Euros.

Reading

You are only required to buy 1 book for the On-line TEFL Starter Course:

How to Teach English (with DVD) by Jeremy Harmer Published by Longman. You can buy this through www.amazon.com, through your local bookstore or through us.

The following websites also offer useful material and articles.

Onestopenglish.com
BBC.co.uk

About on-line learning with OxfordTEFL

We believe that distance learning works best when it captures, as far as possible, the dynamics of face to face learning, even when that means less flexibility (see below). A sense of isolation can cause people to drop out of distance learning courses. Our Distance/On-line Teaching Business English Courses have the following key features, which ensure motivation remains high:

Variety of ways of learning
Through our virtual learning environment you will use the internet to communicate with tutors and fellow course members, access materials and complete learning tasks.

Interaction
Our virtual learning environment (VLE) allows you to communicate individually and collectively with tutors and other course members, both for social and study purposes. You will be assigned individual, group and pair tasks, as in a "real" classroom with the difference that, instead of all working at the same time (synchronised) you can log on and off and contribute at times which are convenient to you. You may, on a few occasions, be required to log on at the same time as other course members for "lessons", "conferences" or "chats" in the virtual classroom.

A real class of fellow students
In many distance courses, learners start and finish courses at any time of the year and join an infinite number of other distance learners at various stages of their course. Our courses have start and finish dates and a defined group of participants, just like our face-to-face courses. You will have tasks and deadlines to keep and be expected to maintain an appropriate rhythm (see above). In other words, flexibility is limited in order to maintain motivation.

Learning how to learn on-line
As well as learning about teaching and language you will have the opportunity to experience and reflect on the nature of on-line learning itself.

Ease of use
You will find it easy to use the virtual learning environment, even if you are relatively unfamiliar with this kind of learning and there will be plenty of support and guidance from tutors to deal with any queries and make sure you are on track.

We use “Moodle”, a “virtual learning environment” (VLE), which allows you to:

• upload and download course information and material
• access materials on and off-line
• participate in live and non-synchronised discussions
• send work to tutors and receive feedback
• communicate with tutors and other members of the class individually and as a group.
• interact in ways similar to a real classroom with the advantage of being able to access it at times convenient to you.

We use skype/messenger or telephone for personal tutorials.

You will need to have regular access to a computer with internet connection, but won’t need to spend huge amounts of time actually on line.

We recommend you install skype if you don't have it already to take advantage of cost free calls to tutors. www.skype.com