The objective of our trainings  at Centro Espiral Mana is to increase the capacity of qualified English teachers and trainers-of-trainers in Latin America and world wide.

Application for 
World Learning's SIT TESOL Certificate Course for Teachers of Young Learners

World Learning has a forty year history of providing quality programs in teacher growth and development. Teacher Training Costa Rica (TTCR), a licensed provider of courses from World Learning and housed in Centro Espiral Mana in rural Costa Rica. The center was started in 2003 and is home to out teacher-training work,  a community English program and other training projects with a local university and high school teachers. There have been over 800 SIT TESOL course graduates from 15 countries in the past 15 years. The volunteer-run community English program has had over 20 volunteers provide language instruction to over 400 students in the surrounding area.

World Learning's TESOL Certificate for Teachers of Young Learners at Centro Espiral Mana is a 180-hour course that provides participants with professional knowledge and skills in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) to children as well as tools for their own reflection and growth as teachers. The innovative course curriculum is based on humanistic, experiential, and progressive teaching. The TESOL Certificate is recognized worldwide.

The course provides practical training through teaching demonstrations, lesson planning and analysis, and practice teaching and feedback. Participants develop skills in teaching, speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and culture. The course begins with a brief look at second language acquisition through the experience of being a learner. Participants then examine specific teaching areas each day, which they apply in their daily practice teaching of adult ESOL learners. Participants gain skills in analysis through examining their lessons with licensed trainers that have extensive teaching and teacher training experience as well as a 600-hour training on how to train teachers. There is a maximum trainer-participant ratio of 7 to 1.

World Learning's TESOL Certificate for Young Learners focuses on three main areas:

Learning Participants engage in a language-learning experience in order to explore the relationship between language learning, teaching, and aspects of second language acquisition from the point of view of the learner. This experience provides the foundation for the examination of teaching practices.

Teaching Participants examine the theory and practice of planning, teaching, grammar, culture, and assessing lessons in the four skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) through experiential activities, teaching demonstrations, discussions, lesson planning, materials development, and readings.

Classroom practices Participants put their new knowledge and skills into practice through daily teaching sessions. Trainers observe and facilitate feedback sessions after these lessons. Participants learn to reflect on and assess their own teaching as well as to examine the teaching of their peers.

Course Goals & Objectives

Goal: By the end of the course, each participant will be able to plan, teach and evaluate an ESOL lesson for young learners using current theory from second language acquisition theory and their own experiences.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
 
Plan

• Plan lessons that take into account their teaching context, learner profiles, and English language needs, particularly those relating to the learners’ age group
• Plan for effective, learning-centered productive (speaking and writing), receptive (listening and reading), and integrated skills lessons using lesson plan frameworks and assessment tools
• Analyze language so that they may plan relevant activities to support learners
• Design lessons using activities that foster learning through experience and the use of senses (interacting with their environment)
• Plan and effectively teach lessons that encourage the development of students’ communication ability in English and on-going experimenting with the language
• Plan lessons that help the learning process through classroom activities fostering routine-building and effective classroom management according to the learners’ age group 
• Plan lessons that promote social skills through collaborative work and projects

 
Teach

• Effectively teach learning-centered productive, receptive and integrated skills lessons, scaffolding students’ learning and engaging students in participation in their own learning
• Identify and implement appropriate learner assessment options for the language classroom, based on language learning objectives
• Implement classroom management techniques and aimed at positively engaging young learners and establishing discipline mechanisms throughout lessons
• Apply routine-setting principles that help young learners in the learning process
• Implement lessons that involve learning through experience and the use of senses as a learning support for young learners
• Encourage learners to experiment with language being learned
• Implement error correction techniques that foster positive growth in the use of language during the lesson
• Implement strategies to develop group and collaborative work skills

 
Reflect

• Reflect on planning and teaching decisions in terms of their effect on individual students’ learning and on the learning of a group of students
• While reflecting in community, give feedback that communicates positive regard, and which is focused on improving student learning
• Receive feedback openly and reflect on how to apply it to their planning and teaching practices

Requirements for Receiving the Certificate Each participant must:

1. Attend all of the course sessions.
2. Participate positively in all aspects of the course.
3. Communicate effectively in oral and written English.
4. Successfully achieve the goal and objectives of the course.
5. Complete all student teaching requirements:
6.  Plan and teach lessons
7.  Assess effectiveness of lessons
8. Work effectively in a group
9. Successfully complete all course assignments. These include:

·       3 Reflective Essays
·       3 Extended Lesson Reflections
·       1 Course Portfolio
-       1 Inspiration Kit    

BEFORE filling out this application form we suggest that you: 
1. Read through the form
2. Prepare  your two documents that you will upload (your resume and the written statement)
3. Make sure that your name is in the name of each document

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you!