Certificate in English Language Teaching
Information for Applicants

The Cork Language Centre International (CLCI) Certificate in English Language Teaching is an initial course that aims to provide the necessary skills to teach English as a Foreign Language. The course is recognised by the Irish Department of Education (ACELS) and is subject to regular inspections.

Admission Requirements & Fees

Candidates should be at least 20 years old and should have a sufficiently good command of both written and spoken English to enable them to undertake the course and to prepare for teaching learners at a range of levels.

Candidates must hold a primary degree or equivalent (i.e. a Level 7 qualification on the NQAI framework) to be eligible for the ACELS / HETAC recognised certificate. If in doubt as to the level of your qualification, consult ACELS website www.acels.ie. A copy of qualifications must be submitted with the application form.

Applicants who do not hold a degree must sign a disclaimer confirming that they have been made aware that they will be unable to teach in recognised Irish schools. Certification for non-degree holders will be provided by Cork Language Centre International and not by the Department of Education. Candidates whose first language is not English may be admitted to the course provided that their level of English is equivalent to that of the Council of Europe's Mastery Level C2 (Proficiency).

Previous teaching experience is not a requirement.

Acceptance of candidates is based on completion of the application form and screening procedures (interview and tasks).

Course Outline

In line with Dept. of Education requirements, the course is 120 hours + in duration and includes:

  • A minimum of 100 programmed hours face-to-face contact between course trainers and participants
  • A minimum of 420 minutes of observation of real classes
  • A minimum of 7 supervised teaching practice sessions representing a minimum of 360 minutes
  • Trainer-directed study
  • Micro and team teaching
  • Feedback , review and evaluation session

The maximum number of participants on any course is 18.

Grading and Certification

The course has two components - the teaching practice and a portfolio. The final grade is reached through assessment of these two elements of the course.

Successful candidates will be awarded a grade of either Approved or Approved with Distinction

Trainees are required to gain an Approved grade in both components in order to be awarded an overall Approved.

Trainees are required to gain an Approved with Distinction grade in both components in order to be awarded an overall Approved with Distinction.

The CELT certificate will state the overall grade awarded as well as individual grades for the Teaching Practice and Portfolio components.

Candidates are regularly informed of their progress through oral and written feedback from trainers on the course.

Course Content

  • Icebreakers: Activities that help the students in a new class to find out about each other and thereby to facilitate the development of friendship and co-operation.
  • Approaches and Methods: The origins and theory of modern language teaching (approaches). Participants are introduced to a variety of the most popular methods of teaching language with particular focus on the communicative method - functional English (a language teaching method is a set of techniques to be used in the classroom).
  • Classroom Management: The organisation of lessons (i.e. the physical set-up of the classroom, giving instructions, eliciting information, concept checking, board-work and interaction patterns).
  • Language Awareness: The grammar system and the terminology used to describe it.
  • The Role of the Teacher: This module examines the different functions that the teacher performs: controller, organiser, prompter, participant and resource.
  • Lesson Planning: Combining a number of different elements of a lesson into a coherent whole. Lesson plans are dealt with as proposals for action rather than as scripts that must be followed. Course participants learn to use lesson plans to help identify aims and to anticipate potential problems.
  • The Receptive Skills (Reading and Listening): How and why we read and listen. Course participants address the problems that the teaching and learning of receptive skills presents. Areas covered include topics, interest, appropriacy, purpose, testing and evaluation.
  • The Productive Skills (Speaking and Writing): How and why we speak and write. Course participants address the problems that the teaching and learning of Productive skills presents. Areas covered include topics, interest, conventions, appropriacy, purpose, testing and evaluation.
  • Dealing with Vocabulary: Word meaning, how words extend their use, how words combine, and the grammar of words. Course participants are introduced to a variety of methods of presenting and recording vocabulary.
  • Pronunciation, Intonation & Stress: Course participants are introduced to the phonemic alphabet and look at ways of teaching and correcting the different elements of pronunciation.
  • Using Language Games in the Classroom: The focus is on fun activities that provide opportunities for language practice in the classroom. Course participants learn how to organise language games and are given a pack containing a variety of language games at different levels.
  • Error Analysis & Correction: Identifying the different types of error and what causes them as well as looking at how and when to correct errors.
  • Materials Evaluation & Selection: Choosing appropriate materials (authentic and prepared). Course participants have the opportunity to evaluate a variety of materials using a range of selection criteria. The course also deals with adapting authentic material for the purpose of teaching.
  • Video in the Classroom: The focus is on teaching techniques which can be used in video-based lessons.
  • Role-play: How to on set up a successful simulation of a real-life encounter. Course participants learn how to construct the activity and what information students must be given if the activity is to be carried out successfully.
  • Using Dictionaries: Training students how and when to use dictionaries. Examining productive use of dictionaries in the classroom.
  • Strategic Competence: The focus is on the non-verbal skills and strategies that learners can use to maintain communication when their language resource is insufficient.

Classroom Observation and Teaching Practice

Trainees have opportunity to observe and teach eight assessed lessons to language learners at a minimum of three distinct levels.

  • Teaching Practice 1: Communication Activity (a) - Team teaching - 30 minutes each
  • Teaching Practice 2: Communication Activity (b) - 45 minutes
  • Teaching Practice 3: Receptive Skills (Reading or Listening) - 50 minutes
  • Teaching Practice 4: Systems: Vocabulary - 60 minutes
  • Teaching Practice 5: Productive Skills - Speaking - 60 minutes
  • Teaching Practice 6: Authentic & Published Materials - 60 minutes
  • Teaching Practice 7: Systems - Grammar - 60 minutes

Observation of the classes in advance allows the participants to become familiar with the level of the group and with their strengths and weaknesses.

Portfolio

The portfolio contains all material related to the teaching practice as well as a series of 6 assessed modules which will be completed over the duration of the course. The modules cover the following areas:

  • Module 1: Exploring the Teaching of the Four Skills
  • Module 2: Demonstrating an Understanding of Approaches and Methods
  • Module 3: Analysing and Contextualising Language
  • Module 4: Materials Evaluation
  • Module 5: Developing a Learner Profile
  • Module 6: Providing Learners with Language Learning Strategies

Trainees draw upon their own experience, what they have learnt in input sessions, their teaching practices, and EFL resources to complete assignments.

Attendance policy

We keep a strict record of trainee attendance, punctuality and participation. These will be commented upon in the final report. According to ACELS guidelines, trainees must attend 100% of the teaching practices and at CLCI we require a minimum of 95% of the input sessions. Trainees who have attended between 95% and 90% of the sessions are required to submit an additional portfolio task. Those who attend less than 90% of the input sessions are deemed not to have met the attendance specifications and will be awarded a certificate. Trainees who do not attend all 7 TPs are deemed not to have completed the course and will not be awarded a certificate.

Course Dates 2010
Tuesday March 2nd to Saturday April 24th Eight week part-time course
Tuesday and Thursday 17.30-21.00
Saturday 09.00-14.30
Price €1,050
Trainees must carry out observations and teaching practice each week between the hours of 09.00 and 16.00 at times agreed with the tutors.
Tuesday May 4th to Friday June 4th Five Week Full Time Course
Weeks 1-4: Monday (no input on May 3rd) - Thursday 09.00 - 16.30, Friday 09.00 - 13.00
Week 5: Monday - Friday 09.00 - 13.00
Price €1,150
*Trainees must carry out observations and teaching practice each week between the hours of 09.00 and 16.00 at times agreed with the tutors.
Monday June 28th - Friday July 30th Five Week Full Time Course
Weeks 1- 4: Monday - Thursday 09.00 - 16.30, Friday 09.00 - 13.00
Week 5: Monday - Friday 09.00 - 13.00
Price €1,150
*Trainees must carry out observations and teaching practice each week between the hours of 09.00 and 16.00 at times agreed with the tutors.
Tuesday September 7th to Saturday October 30th Eight week part-time course
Tuesday and Thursday 17.30-21.00
Saturday 09.00-14.30
Price €1,050
*Trainees must carry out observations and teaching practice each week between the hours of 09.00 and 16.00 at times agreed with the tutors.

To apply please click here.