TEFL Program Description

Teacher Training programs go by many different names?TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language), TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), etc. Regardless of the name, the goal of a TEFL Certificate program should be the same: To teach you in a short amount of time what will be of the most value to you as you begin to teach ESL/EFL and to give you the greatest number of practice teaching hours possible. This is exactly what you can expect from the EC Boston TEFL Certificate program.

Here are the most important components of the program:

Practice Teaching
Participants in the EC Boston Certificate Program begin peer teaching in the second day of class and very quickly after that begin teaching actual ESL students, using lesson plans they have prepared and revised according to the identified needs of the students. Trainees will complete a minimum of 6 hours of practice teaching.

Extensive classroom observation
Second to teaching, observing excellent teachers is the best way for anyone to learn to teach. All EC Boston students observe select ESL classes at EC Boston and other affiliated schools. Observations are not only as a great way to tailor the program to your interests by carefully selecting a preferred observation site, but can also be a ?shoe-in? at future employers.

Comprehensive coverage of key teaching theory including?
principles and methods of language teaching
needs analyses and goal setting
learning styles
classroom interaction & management
lesson planning
syllabus and materials development
basic grammar review & teaching techniques

Job Search Assistance
EC Boston offers extensive help to students in finding teaching jobs overseas or domestically. We assist you in tailoring your resume to teaching so that you look your most attractive to potential employers. We also require that all students assemble a personal teaching portfolio which will enable you to present your qualifications as a professional. We help students to conduct internet research and to assess the quality of jobs currently listed. Our Academic Director conducts mock interviews with you to review and positively critique your interview skills. Finally, EC Boston receives job postings on a regular basis and makes these available to graduates.

Grading Policy
Student grades of pass, low pass, or fail are based on the following:

Preparation of class lessons
Participation in class
Observations
Practicum (preparation, effective use of teaching materials, variety of classroom techniques, rapport with students)
Portfolio

All students who successfully complete the classroom, practicum, and observation requirements will be given a passing grade. Students who do an outstanding job in all areas will be awarded certificates with distinction.

Admissions Requirements
While no prior teaching experience is required, we do have a screening process and the following admissions criteria:

--Students must be at least 20 years of age

--A four-year undergraduate degree preferred for US residents. The equivalent is     required for international students.

--Non-native English speakers must have a language proficiency equivalent to TOEFL iBT 80 or completion of EC Boston Advanced level*

--All students must complete a written application, essay and oral interview

*Please note that international students needing I-20s may attend the full-time program only. International students not testing into TEFL upon arrival will be place in English or TOEFL classes