University of Sunderland course for English Language Teachers Short course

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Deepen your understanding of the principles and practice of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Draw on the expertise of the University of Sunderland’s lecturers and language technology. Gain confidence in your ability to function effectively in an academic context.

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Overview

This University of Sunderland course for English Language Teachers (USELT) draws on the expertise of the University of Sunderland’s lecturers and language technology.

There are three elements to this course: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Cultural Awareness. You will be taught to experience English language in context, and consider how to adapt this for application to your own teaching environment.

A core element of the course is Communicative Language Teaching, which emphasises interaction in English and linking classroom learning with activities outside the classroom. These activities help you become more confident about the contexts in which English is used in the UK.

The course does not lead to a qualification but by the end of the course you will have classroom-ready teaching ideas.

Why us?

We offer day trips to areas of beauty in England and Scotland, study trips to places of cultural interest, and a range of social events at evenings and weekends

If you are not able to come to Sunderland, we can deliver a version of this course at any university or teachers’ college where there is an interested group of 10 or more people

Course structure

The course mixes formal teaching with independent use of language learning facilities and cultural activities.

It has flexible contact time and is taught in five-week blocks from April to September.

This is an intensive course involving whole group lectures, class teaching, independent study, group work and projects. There are also evening and weekend activities.

English for Academic Purposes will be assessed via a learning portfolio. There will also be a final assessment for the whole course, on a pass/fail basis.

Course content

This course covers three areas: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Cultural Awareness.

The TESOL element is the core of the course. You will be taught via lectures from expert contributors, and then you will take part in follow-up workshops to consolidate your learning. You will review Communicative Language Teaching for the twenty-first century, and consider how current thinking can be adapted for use by teachers.

The EAP classes are your opportunity to further improve your listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in English. There will also be opportunities for experiential learning about pedagogy, via a wide range of alternative communicative language teaching methods.

Cultural Awareness is delivered via day trips to areas of interest around England and Scotland. You will have the chance to experience English in real-world settings, and we also encourage you to use the University’s digital video cameras on your trips to develop your own language resources.

Facilities

This course can be taught on-campus in Sunderland, or at another university or Teachers' college.

All learning is supported by the University’s excellent facilities. Our Language Centre includes:

Two digital language laboratories for teaching

Open-access language laboratory for independent study

Resources (DVDs, textbooks, magazines, dictionaries)

The Language Centre and Labs are a place where students can learn independently and access language learning resources such as books, DVDs and use the computer software.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

This course is aimed at people who teach English as a foreign/second/additional language.

If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.

For specific information, contact the Student Helpline: 0191 515 3000 / student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

Fees and finance

The annual fee for this course is:

£POA (price on application) if you are from the UK / EU
£POA (price on application) if you are an international student

If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK, EU or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.

This course involves cultural awareness activities. Some of these activities are covered by tuition fees, while others are offered on a pay-as-you-go basis.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

Page last updated: 15 March 2023

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.