After completing the Basic TEFL (covered during the induction and the first 2 to 3 months of teaching practice and internship), a need to consolidate and grow is only possible through further teaching practice and personal research. The Advanced TEFL Certificate allows you to build on the skills and attributes you have gained so far whilst continuing to develop and attain further knowledge.
Working towards your Advanced TEFL Certificate you are required to submit 6 assignments for the Advanced TEFL.
Please ensure that you choose a topic from each of the 6 sections. See below for the full list.
There are also options and support for students who wish to specialise in a particular area of TEFL to complete extra assignments for further specialist certification. This should be discussed with your TEFL trainer.
We recommend 800 to 1500 words per Assignment.
Putting pen to paper
As certain topics are quite similar, please submit your choice of topics to your TEFL Trainer for approval before commencing your research.
You can choose between the following formats:
- Case Study
- In any case you must annex your References and Appendices.
Dedication and Deadlines
These assignments should be completed and handed in within the 6 months. We do however allow for an extra 6 weeks after this for you to finish and review your work as we know that with a 40-hour teaching practice week, you may have time to read but not always to write about your research.
Once the assignments have been handed in and the placement has been completed, please allow 10 working days for the papers to be graded and for the Certificate to be sent to you by email. Hard copies of the Certificate are also available but represent a charge.
The grade on the Certificate will also reflect teamwork and attendance throughout the 6-month Internship.
Employment beyond the Internship.
Students who successfuly complete the TEFL and Advanced TEFL will be given an internationaly recognised certificate documenting their acheivments and a full employment reference to assist them with applications for TEFL positions. We also use our experience and network to help students find work and are made aware of new opportunites often before they apear on TEFL job boards and afilliated sites.
There are 6 sections:
- Student Motivation / Classroom Management
- TEFL / The TEFL Industry
- EFL Exams and Resources
- Using Resources / Lesson Planning / Student Levels and CEFR
- Cultural Awareness / Student Profiles
- Different Ways of Teaching / Methodology
You can also choose your own topics; not those given as an example. Please verify these with your trainer before commencing with the assignment.
Student Motivation / Classroom Management
- Making students feel relaxed.
- Learning timing as an EFL teacher.
- How to help overcome learner anxiety.
- Setting up real communicative situations when textbooks are not suitable or do not cover the learner’s professional interests and needs.
- Teaching English with limited hours and low motivation for English instruction: the challenge of providing meaningful and stimulating lessons in this context.
- Ideas for an out-of-class English club.
- What are the main constraints in the classroom facing TEFL teachers (large multilevel classes, textbooks, curriculum, hours, motivation, special needs).
- Carry out a poll on assessing needs outside of the language school. (Questions like: Do you need English for your job? When was the last time you spoke English outside this school?)
TEFL / The TEFL Industry
- Online TEFL Courses: is it worth it?
- Preparing for the post placement TEFL interview.
- The realities of TEFL.
- Is TEFL a prejudiced industry (cf. immigration laws)? Is there place for non-native speakers of English?
- Looking for a job in TEFL.
- Questions you can ask regarding Material when you first start working in a language school.
- Polishing up on your own English.
- Professional development as a qualified EFL teacher.
- How to find work overseas.
- Preparing the perfect CV for TEFL.
- Preparing a supporting file to teach abroad.
EFL Exams and Resources
- How can I make reading lessons less tedious?
- How do I test my students?
- What should I teach my students about writing? How can I help write what they want to write, in a way that their readers can understand?
- What do students think of international English examinations?
- Cambridge Exams.
Using Resources / Lesson Planning / Student Levels and CEFR
- Tips on teaching for the first time.
- Your experience in teaching with YouTube.
- Online learning vs. Teacher Led Classes of EFL.
- EFL outside the classroom
- How can I conduct my lessons so that my students know what they are supposed to be learning and when they have learned it?
- Learning timing as an EFL teacher.
- How do I find out how much English my students know?
- Your experience in teaching with grammar websites.
- How can I get my beginner students to feel more confident with listening to English and not just freeze when someone speaks to them?
- How to lay out a lesson.
- Teaching speaking.
- Teaching listening.
- Teaching reading.
- Teaching writing.
- Teaching use of English.
- Games and activities.
- Teaching pronunciation.
- Accent reduction games and activities.
Cultural Awareness / Student Profiles
- Making students feel relaxed.
- Common mistakes to avoid when teaching.
- Familiar and professionalism when teaching.
- Define educational success in EFL.
- When should fluency take some priority over accuracy? And how should your error correction policy reflect this emphasis?
- Teaching in Western Europe.
- Teaching in Eastern Europe.
- Teaching in Asia.
- Teaching in Africa.
- Teaching in Central and South America.
Different Ways of Teaching / Methodology
- Making lessons student-centred.
- Keys to a successful lesson plan for a small group.
- Keys to a successful lesson plan for a large group.
- There are many methods of language teaching. Which is best for me to use when teaching a large group?
- Advantages of sticking to a rigid curriculum. Experiencing resistance to your innovations in the classroom.
- Tips for tired teachers.
- What can I do to get my students to really speak English to me and to one another?
- What is the best way to learn vocabulary?
- How to teach grammar (especially when I’m not too sure about grammar questions myself)?
- Define and discuss the variety of ways in which you can organise your groups when teaching EFL.
- Second Language Acquisition methods.
- Learning a second or other language as a child.
- Learning a second or other language as a teenager.
- Learning a second or other language as an adult.
- Error Correction.
- Being observed and observing your peers.
Examples of TOPICS for Specialist TEFL Assignments
- Differences between teaching EFL to Young Learners and Adults.
- Learning the jargon to teach Business English.
- Teaching EFL to kids. Didactics and pedagogy.
- Learning difficulties.
- What it means to be a young language learner.
- Principles and theories for the young learner classroom.
- Teaching teenagers.
- Special needs of students. i.e. hearing or visual impairment.
- Behaviour management with young learners.
- Professional teaching: Academic English (English for Specific Purposes).
- Teaching Medical English (English for Specific Purposes).
- Classroom routines when teaching large classes. (English for Specific Purposes).
- Effective teaching with limited resources.
- Teaching very large classes (40+ students).
- Motivation techniques when teaching total beginner young learners.
- How to keep teenagers interested when learning EFL.
- Communication skills when teaching business English to advanced students.
- Incorporating audio-visual materials in the classroom.
- Time management in One-to-One.
- Using English in the home when nannying.
- Volunteering in TEFL.