******* TEACHER TRAINING CENTRE *******

CertTESOL (Trinity College London Validated) at Atlantic SEAL

Mid March to Mid April, August 15th to Sept 9th 2005 & Mid September to Mid October each year. Interviews for English teaching jobs take place during the course. Main jobs that we can arrange are based mainly in Thailand, China, Spain & Germany. Download application form and all details on: http://www.atlantic-english.com/courses/TESOL_certification.htm

******* ABOUT OUR COURSE AND LOCATION *******

Atlantic School of English & Active Leisure is a unique English language school & Teacher Training Centre by the sea in the lively village of Schull in magical South West Cork, Ireland. The CertTESOL is validated by Trinity College London. Did you know that Atlantic S.E.A.L is the only school in Ireland to offer this prestigious course. It is internationally recognised and reputed & designed for the trainee with little or no experience of teaching English in the contemporary ESOL classroom, but with a high level of competence in spoken and written English. It will equip you with the most basic skills and knowledge needed to take up a post as a TESOL teacher and give you a firm foundation for self-evaluation and further professional development.

The Certificate is a minimum requirement for many jobs, and is recognised and regarded highly internationally. Our programme meets the requirements of The British Council Validation Advisory Committee under the English in Britain Accreditation Scheme and our Certificate is validated by Trinity College.

The course takes place at Atlantic School of English and Active Leisure (Atlantic SEAL) which is based in the picturesque harbourside village of Schull in South West Cork, Ireland. This is a tranquil & beautiful location, with scenic surroundings. However, as is typical of Irish villages, there is also a lively evening pub and live music scene, which means that even those who are not local residents can find the ideal tranquil learning environment, extracurricular 'diversion' when needed and a warm welcome from the friendly locals. For the active, there is a wide variety of watersports and land sport options to choose from.

******* COURSE STRUCTURE *******

The course is a short intensive course of four weeks duration, preceded by pre-course tasks, including an introduction to phonemic script, syntactic and lexical tasks and a short introduction to methodology. (This is available either as an attachment on the Internet or as hard copy. In either case it is a requirement to complete it before the beginning of the course. You can return the completed worksheets by Internet or by post or bring them in person at the start of the course. You will be sent this work as soon as we receive your deposit).

The course itself includes 130 hours tuition; input, tutorial time and teaching preparation, 6 hours teaching practice and a minimum of six hours of guided observation. The tuition takes the form of lectures, seminars, guided self-study, workshops and observation of experienced teachers. There is also some video and peer-observation.

Unlike other courses, we offer a free introductory weekend workshop prior to the course to 'iron out' any difficulties you may have encountered doing the distance learning and also to serve as an enjoyable and supportive 'warm up' and 'getting to know you' event.

******* COURSE ASSESSMENT *******

Course members are assessed throughout the course for development during teaching practice and professional growth in terms of relationship with learners and colleagues, as well as awareness of their own progress. The Certificate also requires that a certain number of tasks be completed, all with a pedagogical objective in mind. A journal is kept during a five-hour course in Japanese, to provide evidence of a developing awareness of language learning and a communicative methodology.

A profile of a non-native speaker learner is written to provide evidence of an awareness of what is required to analyse learners' needs and how to address them. A compilation of materials is made during teaching practice, to provide a springboard for a discussion with an external moderator and to enable that person to judge how much of TESOL methodology has been acquired. There are also tests in language awareness of English phonology, syntax and vocabulary.

The emphasis is on assessing progress made and not on grading, since six hours behind the wheel is considered too early to make a final judgment on potential teaching ability. Course members are given a lot of support during throughout the course by very experienced staff, particularly during the early teaching practice sessions and during the completion of the required tasks. However, it must be emphasised that this is a very intensive course and cannot be carried out at the same time as other commitments or during times of personal difficulties.

******* HOW TO APPLY *******

Potential course members need to contact Atlantic SEAL following which they will arrange to have an interview and complete a pre-course test. The interview will take place either at the centre or over the telephone, if a journey to Schull is impractical. Once accepted on to the course and having paid a deposit, the distance learning materials will be sent out. There are two books to accompany the material, which will also be used during the course. These can be posted to you by The English Language Bookshop, if required. Details can be obtained at interview.

We can give full support to you in finding excellent independent or shared budget accommodation locally in holiday homes, hostels or sharing with local Irish couples/singles/adults.