Program Description

New Bridge International Learning Center^® (NBILC) has been teaching English worldwide with accountability and compassion.  How to TEFL is an American English language course for adults who have proficient English language skills. Our program is taught by Illinois certified teachers who provide our students with practical learning experiences in understanding and applying techniques in teaching English as a foreign language. 

Our vision is to build bridges within our local and global communities to improve understanding and increase respect for language and cultural differences while advancing literacy.

Course Objectives

Our core curriculum, How to TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language), includes:

1.           Qualities of the Student/Learner (children and adults)

2.           Effective Teacher Traits

3.           Learning Motivation

4.           Whole Language and Phonetics

5.           Language Awareness and Grammar

6.           Features of Foreign Language Learning

7.           How to Manage and Organize your Classroom

8.           Components of Language:  Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing

9.           Learning How to Assess the Student’s Level of Understanding (grading)

Course Components

1.        Teaching Practice:  How to TEFL provides practical and real classroom experiences that online and distant learning programs cannot provide.   Not only will you write lesson plans but also observe, assess and practice teaching in every class.  You are required to attend all 6 sessions totaling 18 hours of class time.

2.        Externship:   Students taking How to TEFL  are required to complete 20 hours of Externship practicum teaching or assistant teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).  We will place you in one of our approved partner community organizations who sponsor or conduct ESL classes.   Completion of the Externship experience is critical to reflect on the experience of being a student as well as teaching, and how this might direct your own teaching.

3.        Certification will only be awarded after all course requirements are completed. 

                  To earn a Certification Of Completion in How to TELF from New Bridge International Learning Center, the student must: 

                  a. Attend all 6 class sessions,

b. Demonstrate completion of course work:  maintain journal, develop a lesson plan, present a lesson plan, and assess students for class planning criteria,  and assess student learning, and

c. Complete 20 hours of externship in TEFL at an approved organization site.  You will have up to 3 months to complete your externship.

Course Features

1. Meeting Session:  How to TEFL has 6 required sessions which meet once a week.  Each session meets for 3 hours in the evening to allow for students who may work a day job.  Please be on time to class as there is much information to cover.
2. Meeting Facilities:  In order to pass on the saving cost of How to TEFL to our students, we share space with organizational partners who have a similar mission in bringing quality educational programs to communities in need with compassion and respect. 
3. Materials and Resources:  All materials and books are included in the course fee. 
4. 1. All students will be provided with a workbook binder, which includes the course syllabus, articles and support material, and forms as well as space to add to the binder as you collect information and take notes. 
   2. Students are required to keep a Teaching - Language Journal (provided) to reflect on their experience and knowledge achievements. 
   3. We expect this binder to be a record of the course and should be kept neat and professional in appearance for intermittent inspection and review throughout the course. 
   4. We will provide you with website resources, handouts and supplemental bibliography.  We expect you to do reading and look for resources outside of class time.
5. Test and Quizzes:  There will be a weekly review as part of the class curriculum which will include testing your knowledge by verbal, experiential, and written methods which can be applied to the student’s own future TEFL experience.
6. For specific meeting times, dates, fees and facilities please see our insert.

Course Educators and Students

1.  The Educators

All of our Educators are professional, highly experienced and qualified, yet supportive and sensitive to the needs of the adult learner.  We believe that our Educators present Best Practice as a model to our students.   Our Educators are fully aware of the situations facing students and teachers in the classroom today.

2.  The Students

How to TEFL is an adult education course and as such, our adult students come to us with a level of life knowledge and understanding.  All Applications to How to TEFL are welcome regardless of sex, age, race or nationality. The only requirements are a proficient level of English, evidence of study at a higher education level (work experience may be accepted in place of academic achievements) and an understanding of the intensive nature of the course.

New Bridge International Learning Center has trained teachers from many backgrounds and ages with great success. We consider it our responsibility to guide students to successful completion of the course.  The How to TEFL course is very time intensive (but fun) and applicants need to be prepared to adapt to the demands of the course.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION