{"id":101,"date":"2018-10-24T15:30:58","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T19:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/?p=101"},"modified":"2021-04-26T13:45:34","modified_gmt":"2021-04-26T17:45:34","slug":"common-specialist-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Specialist Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Here is a list of common areas of specialization for ESL teachers, along with a brief description and links to further reading for each specialty.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Teaching_One-to-One_1_2_1\" >Teaching One-to-One (1:2:1)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Teaching_Business_English_BE\" >Teaching Business English (BE)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Content_and_Language_Integrated_Learning_CLIL\" >Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#English_for_Academic_Purposes_EAP\" >English for Academic Purposes (EAP)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#English_for_Specific_Purposes_ESP\" >English for Specific Purposes (ESP)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Teaching_Exam_Preparation_TOEFL_TOEIC_IELTS\" >Teaching Exam Preparation (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Grammar\" >Grammar<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Technology_Courses\" >Technology Courses<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/common-specialist-courses\/#Teaching_Young_Learners_YL\" >Teaching Young Learners (YL)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teaching_One-to-One_1_2_1\"><\/span><strong>Teaching One-to-One (1:2:1)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Short courses or modules about teaching one-to-one prepare ESL teachers for individual tutoring sessions. Teaching a single student one-on-one lessons is a common practice both for children and adults. One-to-one classes require a different toolkit of activities and materials than group classes.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> Read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachingenglish.org.uk\/article\/teaching-one-one\">Teaching One to One<\/a>\u00a0on the British Council&#8217;s Teaching English website.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teaching_Business_English_BE\"><\/span><strong>Teaching Business English (BE)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Teaching Business English is an area of specialization perfect for teachers with a background in business or past work experience in a corporate setting. Business English courses might cover topics such as how to communicate clearly and effectively in the workplace, how to write business reports, negotiate a deal, or give presentations to executives.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> Again, the British Council has a nice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.teachingenglish.org.uk\/article\/aspects-business-english\">overview of\u00a0Teaching Business English<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Content_and_Language_Integrated_Learning_CLIL\"><\/span><strong>Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the ESL context, CLIL refers to teaching a subject area such as math, music, history, or geography <i>in English<\/i> to speakers of other languages. Students learn the content of the subject at the same time as a foreign language (English), in integrated lessons.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> The\u00a0Pearson blog has an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.english.com\/blog\/content-and-language-integrated-learning\/\">overview article on CLIL<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"English_for_Academic_Purposes_EAP\"><\/span><strong>English for Academic Purposes (EAP)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>EAP courses prepare speakers of other languages for post-secondary studies in English. These classes develop reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills needed for tasks in a university or college setting, such as: taking notes, giving class presentations, participating in discussions, reading textbook material, and writing essays and research papers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> Read the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sites.udel.edu\/eli\/programs\/iep\/tracks\/eap\/\">University of Delaware EAP course descriptions<\/a>\u00a0for an example of a multi-level EAP program.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"English_for_Specific_Purposes_ESP\"><\/span><strong>English for Specific Purposes (ESP)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>ESP is a broad term that covers teaching the vocabulary and communication skills needed in a specific setting or discipline, such as medicine, law, science, aviation, business, tourism, finance, etc.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> Read this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usingenglish.com\/articles\/teaching-english-for-specific-purposes-esp.html\">article about ESP on UsingEnglish.com<\/a> or dive deeper with this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/ca\/cambridgeenglish\/catalog\/teacher-training-development-and-research\/english-specific-purposes\/\">book on English for Specific Purposes<\/a> published by Cambridge.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teaching_Exam_Preparation_TOEFL_TOEIC_IELTS\"><\/span><strong>Teaching Exam Preparation (TOEFL, TOEIC, IELTS)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>TOEFL<\/strong> (Test of English as a Foreign Language), <strong>TOEIC<\/strong> (Test of English for International Communication), and<strong> IELTS<\/strong> (International English Language Testing System) are three of the most common standardized tests for measuring a non-native English speaker\u2019s ability to understand and communicate in English. Good scores on these tests are often required for employment, study, or visas in English-language countries. Courses to prepare students for succeeding in these standardized tests are in high demand, so training in exam preparation is one area where ESL teachers may choose to specialize.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TOEFL<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>TOEIC<\/strong> are both developed by the US nonprofit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ets.org\/\">Educational Testing Service<\/a> (ETS). Since 2014, these courses have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.etsglobal.org\/%20Global\/Eng\/My-Country\/United-Kingdom\/Important-Update\">not been offered for visa purposes in the UK<\/a>\u00a0after the BBC reported on systematic fraud at some testing centres.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ielts.org\/what-is-ielts\/ielts-introduction\"><strong>IELTS<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0\u201cjointly owned\u201d by three organizations: the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ielts.britishcouncil.org\/\">British Council<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridgeenglish.org\/exams-and-tests\/ielts\/\">Cambridge Assessment English<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idp.com\/australia\/ielts\/\">IDP: IELTS Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"highlight\"><strong> More details:<\/strong><\/span> All the official websites of the tests offer some guidance to teachers in how to prepare students, though some resources are paid.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ielts.org\/for-teachers\/ielts-for-teachers\">IELTS teacher resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ets.org\/toefl\/teachers_advisors\/test_prep\">TOEFL teacher resources<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ets.org\/toeic\/organizations\/propell\/about\">TOEIC teacher resources<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grammar\"><\/span><strong>Grammar<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many TEFL training schools offers grammar courses for ESL teachers online through short, stand-alone modules. Some are purely grammar refreshers on parts of speech, tenses, etc. while other grammar courses also cover how to teach grammar in an ESL setting. If you expect to teach advanced learners and your grammar skills are feeling wobbly, make sure the course you choose covers advanced topics such as modals and phrasal verbs.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> This article from ThoughtCo covers many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/teaching-grammar-in-esl-efl-setting-1209075\">questions about teaching grammar<\/a>, but I especially liked the explanation of bottom-up vs top-down approaches.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Technology_Courses\"><\/span><strong>Technology Courses<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are a variety of short TEFL training modules focused on technology. Some courses cover many aspects of using digital tools as part of regular lessons. This might include specific apps and software recommendations to use with students or for preparing lessons. Other types of courses deal with a single delivery method such as &#8220;Telephone Teaching&#8221; or &#8220;Teaching Online&#8221; with tips for planning entire lessons in a virtual environment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> The British Council article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcouncil.org\/voices-magazine\/how-get-started-as-online-teacher-english\">how to get started\u00a0teaching online<\/a>\u00a0is, yes, a great place to start. For more ideas, the <a href=\"http:\/\/blog.teslontario.org\/category\/technology\">technology category on TESLOntario&#8217;s Blog<\/a>\u00a0covers\u00a0examples of classroom activities as well as reflections on technology use by teachers in the field.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Teaching_Young_Learners_YL\"><\/span><strong>Teaching Young Learners (YL)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Generally, TEFL certification courses will focus on how to teach adults. Specialist training in teaching young learners covers areas such as games, activities, classroom management techniques, and teaching strategies appropriate for kindergarten, elementary, and middle school aged learners. YL courses may or may not cover teenagers, a whole other ballgame, although a few schools are beginning to offer courses focusing specifically on the adolescent age group.<\/p>\n<p>YL courses are mainly offered as short modules, usually online. Face-to-face YL specialist training is harder to find. Two options include the Cambridge English-accredited certificates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridgeenglish.org\/teaching-english\/teaching-qualifications\/institutions\/celt-p\/\">CELT-P<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridgeenglish.org\/teaching-english\/teaching-qualifications\/institutions\/celt-s\/\">CELT-S<\/a> for primary and secondary school aged learners, respectively, and Trinity College&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trinitycollege.com\/qualifications\/teaching-english\/TYLEC\">Teaching Young Learners Extension Certificate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"highlight\">More details:<\/span><\/strong> Back to the British Council for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcouncil.org\/voices-magazine\/five-essential-tips-teaching-very-young-children-english\">Five Essential Tips for Teaching Very Young Children English<\/a>, an article filled with further links.<\/p>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<h4>Find a Specialist Course:<\/h4>\n<ul class=\"fa-ul\">\n<li><i class=\"fas fa-laptop\"><\/i> &#8211; TEFL schools that offer <a href=\"http:\/\/tcr.test\/online-specialist-courses-for-esl-teachers\/\">online specialist courses<\/a><\/li>\n<li><i class=\"fas fa-chalkboard-teacher\"><\/i> &#8211; TEFL schools that offer <a href=\"http:\/\/tcr.test\/onsite-specialist-courses\/\">in-class specialist courses and workshops<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is a list of common areas of specialization for ESL teachers, along with a brief description and links to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[16,23,14],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1051,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions\/1051"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teflcoursereview.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}