TEFL Breakdown - What Subjects Will Your TEFL Course Cover?

Whether you choose an online format or an in-class option for your TEFL certification course, the overall goal is to provide you with all the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective teacher in your post-course classroom. But what exactly are the skills and knowledge you will learn? While the exact content may vary from course to course, here we break down some of the general topics that you are likely to study.

Also Read: Online or In-Class - Which TEFL Course Should You Take?

The Role of the Teacher

What is the role of the teacher in a modern English language classroom? What are they there to achieve and how should they go about it? Should the teacher be a lecturer or a conversation facilitator? When should they correct errors during the class? Your TEFL certification course will provide the answers to all these questions and many more besides.

Classroom Management

This crucial subject covers many areas, not least, how to deal with difficult behavior in the classroom. During the course, you will learn how to manage a wide range of issues without resorting to outdated disciplinary measures that you might remember from your own school days. You will also learn how different desk layouts can affect your students’ learning and how to keep the class engaged so they don't resort to watching the clock.

Also Read: The 5 Most Common Types of EFL Students and How to Deal with Them

Lesson Planning

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that your future English classes will run more efficiently and be more rewarding for your students if they have been properly planned in advance. However, as with many things in life, ESL lessons don’t always go exactly to plan. Because of this, your TEFL course will not only show you how to effectively plan your lesson but also how to predict any problems that might arise during its delivery and how to overcome them.

Also Read: Top Online Lesson Plan Resources for New and Advanced Teachers

Teaching Strategies

One thing that separates language teaching from many other subjects is that it requires the teacher to focus on multiple skills: speaking, writing, reading, and listening comprehension. And unfortunately, there is no single teaching strategy that can address all four skills together. In order to develop your students’ abilities in all of these areas, your TEFL course will provide key ideas for developing your lessons based on the specific needs of those in your class.

Pronunciation

One part of language learning that many students find the hardest to master is correct pronunciation. In different parts of the world, you will find that students have unique challenges with the pronunciation of certain words and letters. During your TEFL certification course you will learn how to deal with these issues and how to design specific lessons and activities to ensure your students have the best possible help in this difficult area of learning.

Testing

Testing the language level of your new students and testing the progress they have made at different points in the curriculum are important areas of a teacher’s job that need a considerable amount of planning. Your TEFL course will provide plenty of coverage of this issue to ensure you can confidently choose the right approach in any given situation.

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Now that you know what a TEFL course involves, what are you waiting for?

As you can see, a good quality TEFL course covers a wide range of important subjects. By combining all that you learn about each of these, you should be able to walk into your first teaching job fully confident that you can plan and deliver engaging and effective lessons that will give your students the best possible chance of success.

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