Features of the GEOS TECSOL Course

• 2 week work placement (optional)
• 2 Primary school visits and lesson observation
• 1 Live story telling visit
• 3 hours micro teaching with written and oral feedback
• 4 Assessed written tasks
• Tutor supported study time
• Rapid language development through content focussed teaching
• Work placement/work experience support
• Tuition with Cambridge University accredited trainers
  

What is TECSOL?

TECSOL is an intensive, 5-week, full time, Teaching English to Children Teaching Methodology Course. The course is designed to give you a range of practical skills for use with groups and individuals in the language classroom. The course enables you to:

• Acquire essential knowledge and familiarity with the principles of effective teaching for children
• Acquire a range of practical skills for teaching English to children
• Gain cultural knowledge and understanding of educational approaches in other countries
• Demonstrate your ability to apply your learning in a real teaching context
• Experienced teachers will be able to up-grade their skills
• Develop your English Language ability through practice and use
  

In addition to the core teaching skills that you will learn, you will also gain:

• Insight into the NZ educational system and practice
• Confidence in the classroom and in front of groups of people – a great plus if you make presentations in your present or future work
• Increased knowledge of available teaching materials and resources
• The opportunity to observe and assess experienced teachers in the classroom
• Experience working with participants from other countries
  

Course Costs

TECSOL 5-Week Course $2400

The price includes all materials

TLP Course - $360 per week

The price includes all materials

**Minimum of 8 students required for the TECSOL course

The Cambridge University Teachers Knowledge Test (TKT)

We are proud to announce that candidates for our TESOL course will also sit the new Cambridge University TKT exam, which will give them an internationally recognised certificate. The exam fee is included in the course fee. Cambridge University which is famous for its native speaker qualifications such as the CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults) has now started an exam for non native teachers. The TKT exams can be taken around the world and for the first time offers teachers an internationally recognised standard.

An Overview of TKT

TKT tests professional knowledge about the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. It should be noted that TKT tests teaching knowledge rather than teaching ability and that language proficiency, e.g. listening, speaking and extended writing, are not tested.

TKT can be taken at any stage in a teacher’s career and offers candidates a step in their professional development and enables them to move on to higher-level teaching qualifications and access professional support materials such as journals about English language teaching (ELT).

The TKT Exam format and syllabus areas
TKT consists of three free-standing modules each testing different areas of teaching knowledge. There are 80 questions in each module.

The three modules are:

• Language and background to language learning and teaching
• Lesson planning and use of resources for language teaching
• Managing the teaching and learning process

Who is the TECSOL course for?

TECSOL participants are either practising or aspiring Children’s English language teachers.

The course is for people who:

• Love children, helping them to learn and grow
• Would like a new career
• Would like to teach English to children
• Want to upgrade their present skills
• Want to explore new possibilities
• Want to develop their language skills whist at the same time developing their work place skills and potential
• Want to open their own business

What qualities does a TECSOL teacher need?

To be a TECSOL teacher it really helps to:

• Love working with children
• Be patient and understanding
• Have a sense of fun and humour
• Be ready to lead, motivate and inspire learners
• Be very motivated and ready to take risks in order to learn
  

What are the TECSOL entry requirements?

Participants should have an IELTS score (or equivalent) of between 5.0 and 6.0 (General or Academic) or Cambridge First Certificate ‘A’ or ‘B’ pass. Participants without IELTS should have a ‘good intermediate’ level of spoken English fluency.

You may also be a graduate from our 5 week TECSOL Language Preparation course, which runs prior to the TECSOL course. The TLP course is designed to improve the teacher’s language skills before the TECSOL

The TESOL Syllabus Areas

The core areas of the TECSOL syllabus are:

1. Professional Development
2. Approaches and Techniques
3. Lesson planning
4. Teaching Practice
5. Classroom Management

Who will teach the course?

Our trainers have worked internationally and bring a wide range of key experience, qualifications and knowledge to the course. All TECSOL trainers undergo a rigorous selection and training process. To further enhance quality we invest in recruiting top trainers from other centres around the globe to work at GEOS ALC. To ensure that our trainers are up to date with methodology GEOS ALC Teacher Training Department also encourages the TECSOL tutors to work abroad each year on the international training/teaching circuit.