Trinity DipTESOL

Language, Teaching and Learning
(Distance learning component)

This Unit is completed in a virtual learning environment via Moodle. Over 9 months you will need to complete a series of fortnightly workbooks, researching from key texts and websites while closely liaising with fellow course members.

Unit 1 is assessed by a written exam, which is usually taken in months 10 – 12 of the course.

Over 9 months you will work on a series of 18 workbooks that will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to succeed in the unit assessment. Each workbook:

• looks at a syllabus area related to teaching, learning and professional development. You are required to post responses, share ideas and research, and engage in interactive learning with fellow course members
• complete research and coursework activities relevant to an area of grammar or phonology
• answer several essay questions

Each workbook is expected to take 25 hours to complete, with additional independent research on the topic area.

Coursework portfolio

This unit will generally be completed at your place of work and runs parallel to or immediately after Unit 1. The portfolio consists of two written assignments based on a series of tasks in which you are asked to observe fellow teachers, and teach a set of lessons yourself. You are also required to reflect upon aspects of the teaching and learning that take place.

Over the 9 month period that you are working on the learning and teaching components that make up Unit 1, you will also be carrying out development and research tasks at your place of work (Unit 2).

• You will conduct in-class observation of your fellow teachers. You will need to create a method by which you can focus on a specific area of teaching of interest to you and will subsequently adapt the aims of your observation as you reflect on the outcomes and record these in a coursework journal.
• Maintain and update your coursework journal as you reflect on the aspects of how your teaching has developed over an extended period.
• Identify and research an area of TEFL/TESOL on which you will write an extended essay piece. Our training team will help you to select appropriate topics and give advice on how they might best be developed.

To complete this unit of the course you will need to be teaching on a regular basis alongside experienced fellow teachers.

Phonology in the classroom

You can complete Unit 3 either in person at our London Greenwich school, while you are completing your Teaching Practice (Unit 4), or entirely online via our virtual classroom. In both contexts, you will have a series of input sessions on this topic followed by a 30 minute formally assessed interview with a moderator from Trinity College London in which you discuss issues relating to the theory and practice of phonology.

Teaching Practice

The Teaching Practice component is normally carried out within two weeks online via the virtual classroom or on-site at our London Greenwich school.

You will be allocated a class and will teach a set of five assessed lessons: four of these will be assessed by members of the Oxford International Teacher Training team, with the fifth being externally assessed by a moderator from Trinity College London. You will also discuss your own reactions to the experience with the moderator.

This section of the course will draw upon the learning that has taken place during the earlier course components and allow you to demonstrate your professional knowledge and expertise.

After completion of the distance learning sections (Units 1&2), you will need to commit to an approximately two-week intensive component online. During this time you will be preparing for the external moderation that assesses Units 3 and 4. This will involve you planning lessons, teaching classes and attending phonology input sessions. Most participants typically complete their Unit 1 examination (see above) during this time as well.

This section of the course will draw upon the learning that has taken place during the earlier course components and allow you to demonstrate your professional knowledge and expertise. As with the other course components, you can expect to receive a highly personalised level of support to enable you to complete the course successfully.

Although this course component is mainly about Units 3 and 4, participants will typically do the written examination, to complete Unit 1, at the same time.

Unit 1

There are 3 opportunities to sit the exam each year – May, August or November. Most participants will sit the exam in month 12 of the course (which is May or August of the following year, depending on whether you are in the June intake or September intake) at the same time as the on-site/online component. You can arrange to defer your Unit 1 exam to a later opportunity, but additional guidance is not given after the Distance Learning component has been completed. Should extra tutorials be needed, these can be arranged with the Course Director for £100 an hour.

Unit 2

The Unit 2 Coursework portfolio is submitted in March (for June intake participants) and June (for September intake participants) only. An extension can be arranged but further support after this time will not be provided. Additional tutorials can be arranged with the Course Director for £100 an hour.

Unit 3

Unit 3 can be completed either at our Greenwich school while you are completing your Teaching Practice, or online. In both contexts, you will have a series of input sessions on this topic followed by a thirty-minute formally assessed interview with a Trinity moderator in which you discuss issues relating to the theory and practice of phonology.

Unit 4

You will be allocated a class and you will be observed and assessed on four occasions by course tutors and finally by the Trinity moderator. You will also be expected to submit a lesson plan, a class profile and a post-lesson evaluation for each lesson you teach.

Upon enrolment, you will be issued with personal log-in details that will allow you to access the Oxford International Teacher Training Diploma course.