This is the Best Thing I've Learned from my TESOL Course

Upon completing the 50-hour Teaching English to Young Learners Course, the best things I’ve learned would have to be the section that covered course development, including ESA (engage, study, activate), testing/assessment, and how they all come together to form a syllabus and ultimately an English language course.

This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kinsey K.

“I have seen ESA before but not applied in a way to be used with young learners in mind.”

I have seen ESA in the previous 120-hour TEFL course and my 50-hour Teaching Business English Course, however, I had not seen it applied in a way to be used specifically with the young learner in mind. Whenever a teacher is planning a course and a syllabus, the teacher needs to be able to ensure the material is at the appropriate level for that particular class. There were also examples of boomerang and patchwork lesson plans. This was a great example that would apply to most young learners courses, depending on time.

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“It was nice to see different types of tests used and how they are used throughout out a course.”

I believe that this is helpful to see a plethora of lesson planning options, so as not to lose the interest of students and to build on your skills as a teacher. Both the boomerang and patchwork lessons build upon the ESA to help form a solid course and syllabus as well as testing/assessment. In unit 3, testing was covered which was a subsection of the course development. Assessing students is critical in any course and often times is necessary from beginning to the end of a course. It was nice to see different types of tests used and how they are used throughout out a course.

"Every teacher will use these skills throughout their career in teaching.”

Ultimately, the testing, the engage, study, activate methodology, and syllabus planning all come together to form the course development itself. Without each of these pieces, the course would most likely not be a worthwhile course for any student, whether they are young learners or business English students. Every teacher will use these skills throughout their career in teaching, and the key is knowing how to put them together to form a solid course.

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“I will always value my time from this program.”

My time in all of my TEFL courses has been invaluable, but especially my young learners course. I have learned a multitude of things from this course, but the most valuable part of this course, in my opinion, is the overall course development and the pieces that make it up. The course development is a part of each course that is designed, including the young learner course. The course development and all that it encompasses is something that I will use throughout my time teaching English as a foreign language, which is why I see it as being the best and most invaluable thing I’ve learned from this young learners course and any TEFL/TESOL course I have previously taken. I will always value my time from this program.

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