Job Discussion Forums

[JZer]

I know this was discussed but I can't seem to find the thread. Can anyone give me some information about the TEFL courses that teaches you about teaching EFL online?

Thanks for your help.

[sojourner]

JZer,

Do a search for CALL (or C.A.L.L.) - it stands for Computer Aided (Assisted?) Language Learning.

A number of universities that offer online Masters' programmes in TESOL/Applied Linguistics often include optional courses in CALL. It's quite possible that most such unis will allow you to enrol in such a course without insisting that you complete an entire Master's programme.

Peter

[JZer]

I was looking for a certificate that I could show potential employers. Thanks for your help nevertheless.

[sojourner]

JZer,

In many universities, if you don't complete a full programme, you'll probably be issued with a "Certificate of Attainment", which will include the title of the course and the grade attained - having been issued by a recognised uni, it should be more than enough to impress any discerning employer.

If you want something a bit more substantial than the aforementioned certificate, many unis might have Graduate Certificate programmes - involving between 1/3 and 1/2 of the number of courses often covered by a Master's programme. Such certificate programmes might require you to do, say 4 courses - which could mean that you might have to do, say, one course that may not strictly involve CALL, in order to meet the uni's requirements.

Why don't you post your query on Dave's Teacher Training forum ? If your search reveals an outstanding CALL training programme, then please let us know about it ! A lot of us are on the lookout for any kind of training that will help to give us a competitive edge in the job market.

Good luck.

Peter

[naturegirl321]

HOw many hours are you looking for?

[JZer]

Teaching or for the certificate.

[Teacher in Rome]

I don't really understand how useful a teaching online certificate would be. I've taught a fair amount online, and once you get to grips with the learning platform (usually takes about an hour judging from my experience and from what I've seen observing new online teachers) you certainly know the mechanics of online teaching. There are teaching skills you need to develop specifically for an online classroom - learning to listen more is one of these; and I would have thought that these skills are of more use to you than just knowing what an online platform can do.

[hollysuel]

http://www.lancelotschool.com

LANCELOT School is a teacher training center in the use of virtual classroom technology. They offer a three month course covering the following:

1) Technology
2) Language teaching methodology as relates to live online teaching
3) Intercultural communicative competence

The trainees participate two hours a week in a group session live online, two hours a week in a peer-to-peer session and six hours a week in self-study. The certiciate is ICC certified and it is possible to get university credits for the course.

[hollysuel]

[Teacher in Rome]

[hollysuel]

[Teacher in Rome]

I'm not doing it any more, but I taught groups (max 6 in an online classroom) for 90-minute sessions. We used our company's own e-learning platform, but it was loosely based on the Learnlinc platform, so had various applications: whiteboard, Q&A, text and voice chat, plus file sharing. We hired ELT teachers to come in and teach the groups, and none of them had any real difficulty with the software or online classroom management after the training, which was about 3 hours, if I remember correctly. I was around to help for the first lesson if necessary, but I don't recall any problems using the platform.

We wrote our own materials, rather than using a book, as there were certain limitations to what you could do online.