Alpha College of English
Alpha College was established in 1989. It is recognised by the Irish Department of Education; is a full member of EAQUALS (European Association for Quality Language Services) and has ISO9001:2000 accreditation. Alpha offers year-round quality language programmes for adults in its city centre college and summer junior residential and non-residential programmes in the suburbs. General English classes are offered at all levels from beginner to advanced on a group or 1-1 basis; Alpha General Business English and Overseas Teachers Courses are well-known and respected world-wide.
Our Personal Invitation
Alpha College invites you to take part in the dynamic, stimulating experience of training for an internationally recognised certificate in teaching English as a foreign language in a modern, quality-focused, well-equipped, city-centre EFL college.
You will train and work with professional teachers and teacher trainers who are very well qualified, take enormous pride in their work and have years of teaching experience. You will interact with foreign students of English from over twenty countries and work with a highly motivated group of fellow trainees. This is an experience that you will find productive, enriching and rewarding, with a real possibility of working as an EFL teacher on successful completion of the course.
Background to CELT in Ireland
In January 2005 the Irish Department of Education and Science regulated TEFL training courses in Ireland. ACELS (Advisory Council of English Language Schools) is the section of the Department of Education charged with monitoring and assuring quality in the EFL industry in Ireland. ACELS has laid down key standard requirements which must be covered on each training course. Colleges wishing to have their TEFL training courses accredited by ACELS must meet these stringent requirements and have their courses inspected and monitored on a regular basis. Alpha College was among the first colleges to have their TEFL training courses accredited by ACELS.
ACELS also sets and monitors standards which much be maintained by colleges wishing to be approved by the Department of Education as English Language Schools. One of the requirements for such approval is that ACELS accredited schools may only employ teachers who have a university degree and have completed an ACELS accredited course.
Course Requirements
- Candidates should be at least 21 years old and hold a university degree or equivalent, e.g. minimum level 7 according to the National Qualification Authority of Ireland. (c.f. www.hetac.ie for further information). Candidates who did not graduate in Ireland must validate their degrees before certificates can be issued (visit www.nqai.ie for more information).
- Candidates whose mother tongue is not English must have a mastery level (C2) or equivalent on the Council of Europe Competency Indicators.
- Candidates must complete our hand written English pre-course task and attend for interview prior to being considered for acceptance on the Alpha College TEFL certificate course
- 95% attendance on the course is mandatory. 100% is preferred.
- Candidates must successfully complete the prescribed teaching practice module and portfolio assignments before being eligible to be awarded the Alpha College ACELS accredited TEFL certificate
Course Objectives
This is an initial training course which aims to introduce the trainee to the core skills involved in teaching English as a foreign language.
The aims of the course are:
- to make the trainee as autonomous as possible over the duration of the course so that he/she will be able to reflect on his/her own teaching in a positive and constructive way after the course
- to enable trainees to have a good understanding of what is best practice in EFL teaching
- to equip the trainees with the necessary skills to enable them deliver consistently good classes
- to train trainees to stage and manage a class
- to help trainees learn to set relevant and achievable learning objectives with measurable outcomes
- to make sure trainees have a good initial knowledge of what TEFL material is on the market and how to adapt authentic materials to their students’ needs
- to guide trainees in the completion of a portfolio of ideas to help them when they begin teaching
- To make sure trainees are aware of how the TEFL industry operates around the world and how to go about getting a ELT job
Course Content
The course will cover the following areas:
- Introduction to EFL Theory and Practice
- Classroom Management
- Assessing Learners’ levels.
- Teaching Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing
- Error Correction
- Teaching Vocabulary, Pronunciation
- Language Analysis
- Teaching Techniques
- Language Games, Activities, Role Play
- Current Methodologies
- Computer & Internet assisted teaching
- TEFL world wide
- Testing and Exams
- English for Special Purposes
- Teaching Practice Sessions
- Classroom Observation
- Teaching Young Learners
Why Choose a Teacher Training Course at Alpha College?
- The tutors are very well qualified and regularly update their skills and knowledge at training courses and seminars. Tutors all hold post graduate diplomas in TEFL and have an average of 10 years teaching experience.
- The TEFL Certificate training course offered in Alpha College is accredited by ACELS
- Alpha College has been providing the MEI-RELSA TEFL certificate training programme since 1993 and has a highly experienced, qualified and motivated teacher training department
- Alpha College provides refresher courses for Overseas Teachers of English and is therefore very familiar with language teaching practices pertaining in many countries across Europe. (These courses are eligible for funding under the EU Comenius programme)
- Alpha College is a full member of the European Association of Quality Language Services (www.eaquals.org) so TEFL trainees can be assured that when they work with and observe the teachers in Alpha they are working with and observing a well-trained, well-qualified group of professionals who are delivering quality English language programmes.
- TEFL trainees in Alpha are very closely monitored and encouraged by the course trainers for the full duration of their course
- There is a very practical ‘job search’ section in the course through which trainees have access to the Alpha College network of EFL school contacts. There are frequently job opportunities at Alpha College itself and preference is given to trainees who show real potential as TEFL teachers.
- Alpha College offers the course in a four week full time format as our experience has shown that trainees best assimilate the concepts taught while living and working over this period in a fully functioning EFL school.
- Alpha College has an extensive EFL library including a dedicated teacher training and development section.
- Our experience has indicated that Irish candidates can often feel self conscious when teaching pronunciation so we put particular emphasis on teaching sounds, stress, rhythm, connected speech and intonation.
Course Duration
120 hours + over four weeks.
Course Dates.
- May 4th - 29th 2010
- June 1st - 25th 2010
- September 6th - October 1st 2010
Course Fees
€945 (inclusive of deposit). A deposit of €150 must accompany the application form.
(Cancellation policy: There is a cancellation fee of €150 for courses cancelled with one week’s notice or less)
Comments from some of our previous trainees:
- Thank you to the great teacher training team in Alpha. We are now teaching in Perth, Australia and so grateful for all the help and ideas we got on the course. We hope to get other EFL teaching jobs as we travel to different parts of Australia. You helped us get great jobs as we live out the dream in Oz. Thanks again and again.
- I feel I have made good progress and it will definitely help me to find a job…
- I have definitely benefited from the course. I am a lot more confident as a person and as a public speaker….
- I really enjoyed the course. I feel prepared and ready to enter the TEFL industry. I learnt a lot and made lots of friends.
- The course tutors were both very helpful and approachable. The standard of teaching was excellent.
- I think this was an excellent course and although it was intense, it was rewarding and enjoyable.
