The Certificate of Educational Studies (COES) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages TESOL is designed for candidates with little or no experience of teaching English.

This course is intended as an initial TESOL training qualification and is a first step towards a qualification in TESOL.

The course structures should provide the candidate with an introduction to the theory and practice of contemporary English teaching and an insight into the challenges facing the learner and the teacher.

Perspective:

• The COES courses provided by the Centres of The College are available to those speakers whose first or second language is English and should be suitable for those who want to teach in the country of their choice.
• A COES TESOL provided by the Centres of The College will give a candidate the basic skills and knowledge with a strong foundation in TESOL.
• The COES courses provided by the Centres of The College are encouraged to be made available internationally both through distance and on-site learning methods.
• A COES TESOL provided by the Centres of The College makes candidates aware of the importance of further professional development throughout their career.
• A COES TESOL provided by the Centres of The College should reflects current approaches to TESOL.
• A COES TESOL provided by the Centres of The College should encourage the candidate to experience what it is like to be a language learner.
• A COES TESOL provided by the Centres of The College should encourage candidates to develop self-evaluation techniques and record progress throughout their course.

Who is the qualification for?

The COES is designed for those with little or no experience of TESOL. It is available to people of all professional backgrounds who are attracted to the English teaching profession, either as a long-term career or for a shorter period to help them travel the world and experience life in different cultures.

Each course will have its own entry requirements, however The College recommends the following as a minimum:

• The minimum age to join a CoES course is 18.
• Trainees must have competence in written and spoken English appropriate to a teacher of English.

Course structure:

The requirements of this qualification were developed to be flexible and to provide TESOL candidates with a thorough introduction into TESOL and the classroom. The College does not consider it appropriate to specify a maximum number of hours since the whole point of these courses is their flexibility and the difference in hours that candidates may take to complete them.

Assessment outcomes

A COES TESOL will give a candidate the basic skills and knowledge with a foundation in TESOL.

Timetabled course hours should be a minimum of 50 hours and there should be a time tabled minimum period of ten hours for reading/research and completing assignments. Some of this time may be scheduled before and/or after the time tabled course.

There should be a minimum of 32 trainer contact hours where a candidate is interacting with a trainer, either in input sessions, tutorials,counselling or feedback sessions. Such interaction may be face to face or at a distance providing the tutor is engaged actively with thetrainee/trainees work/giving feedback.

Level

The College of Teachers' qualifications are independently valid and stand alongside the National Qualification Framework (NQF) and Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ).

This qualification is assessed at NQF - Level 2.