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Home > Courses: TESOL Diploma
TESOL Diploma
Once you have taken a certificate course and gained practical teaching experience, the next step in your teaching
career will be the Diploma. This opens the door to better jobs or positions of responsibility like Director of Studies
or Centre Manager. Once you have earned your Diploma you are considered a fully qualified teacher.
The TEFL International TESOL Diploma will prepare you for the next step in your teaching career. Whereas your
certificate course explained the 'how' of teaching English, the Diploma will demand an understanding of 'why'.
Course Content
To successfully complete the Diploma course you will need to demonstrate a significant understanding of the current state
of knowledge in 3 core areas::
- Language Acquisition
In this module you will explore how people acquire their first and other languages. This will include readings in
first language acquisition in psycholinguistics and cognitive psychology, and studies in second language
acquisition. To help your understanding you will define a classroom based research project that will enable you
to put theory into practice.
The final project for this component will show an understanding of:
- The difference between language learning and acquisition
- Current theories of language acquisition
- Proper conduct of a classroom-based research project
- Language - Morphology, Phonology and Syntax
This module will guide you through the study of language and in doing so explore aspects of morphology, phonology
and syntax. You will be required to choose one feature of particular interest to you and examine it in depth.
By the completion of this project the student will demonstrate:
- Understanding of the current research in language
- Knowledge of major areas of linguistic study
- Explication of a specific feature of language
- Techniques, Approaches and Methodologies
In this module you will re-examine the teaching techniques modelled and practiced in your TESOL Certificate
and continue by exploring the teaching approaches and methods used by experienced teachers in the classroom.
This includes looking at the principles and beliefs that each individual has about teaching that determines
and limits our choices.
As Donald Freeman puts it, "Good teachers know what to do." Thus this component looks at "why" teachers make
the choices they do, and "what" alternatives might be available to them.
By the completion of the project the student will demonstrate an understanding of:
- Major developments in language teaching methods and approaches since WWII
- Critical ingredients of context, comprehensible input, naturalness, monitor effect and affective factors
- Why good teachers do what they do - principles and beliefs
- The role of "error" and interlanguage in language learning
- Classroom study of teaching-learning behaviours
- Critical reflection on individual teaching experience
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Course Assessment
The candidate must demonstrate understanding of how to conduct proper classroom-based research as outlined
in Donald Freeman's Doing Teacher Research, Heinle & Heinle / Newbury House.
- Language Acquisition
- Candidates are required to write an 8-15pp paper showing current understanding of
language acquisition, including discussion of Chomsky and Pinker.
- Candidates are required to produce a report on a classroom-based research project
looking at some aspect of Language Acquisition.
- Language - Phonology, Morphology & Syntax
- Candidates are required to write an 8-15pp paper showing a broad understanding of
these three part of language research
- Candidates are required to produce a report taking an in-depth look at one feature
of language from the above
- Methodology
- Candidates are required to write an 8-15 pp paper covering the development of method
over the last 30 years and the current state of things.
- Candidates are required to conduct a classroom-based research project on some aspect of
teaching approach or technique and write a report detailing their findings.
Entry Requirements
Successful candidates will have:
- An undergraduate degree or equivalent
- An internationally recognized TESOL certificate
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