Making the Most of TEFL

We are very excited to be able to continue welcoming Via Lingua CTEFL Trainees for in person courses in Florence again during this academic year!
After a tough year and a half, the excitement of being able to travel again and the joy of being greeted each morning by the beauty of Florence is written all over everyone’s face.

Your TEFL course will be a memorable journey and can be an invaluable learning experience. But, it is just as easy that your time in the program could race right by you if you’re not careful! With a bit of intentional focus, you can utilize a few simple approaches that will help you make the most out of your time in the Via Lingua TEFL Program.

One of the keys to success is how you tackle the work assigned to you. We have many informative sessions for our trainees, but there is work to be done after class as well for you to dig deeper into topics, reflect on what we are studying, and apply the skills you are learning. Make sure to spread your work out. This will save you from some stress at the end of the course when all of the final deadlines arrive. It will also help you digest the information better. In addition to pedagogical topics, trainees are equipped with grammar instruction too. Consider previewing the grammar topic before its scheduled session so that you can engage better with your trainer and the activities on the subject when you have the opportunity face to face. If you are uncertain about certain grammar topics, break them down into pieces and start studying a little bit each day.

TEFL trainees at Via Lingua have a very interactive, hands-on experience with preparing lessons and practicing their teaching skills. Not only do they have the chance to see model lessons, trainees will participate in teaching practice almost every day by teaching or observing lessons. As an observer, we can learn a lot from our peers! Even if everyone is learning the same method, it is helpful to see how others interpret and apply the same strategies, what things go well, and what other things don’t go according to plan. These observations can be informative for when it is your turn to step up to the board. When you are practicing teaching, ask for feedback from your trainer and your peers; another set of eyes can help you see and analyze the lesson more clearly.  Be sure to ask for suggestions and make note of how to improve that area in your next lesson.

The Via Lingua TEFL Course is intensive! We will go on quite a journey together in four weeks time. We hope that all of our trainees successfully reach their certification, but don’t be deceived: the end of our four weeks together is not the end of the learning process! Be patient with yourself during the course, and remain open-minded. Everyone here is learning a new skill together. Even if you have classroom experience, it can take some time to get a handle on a new approach. Everyone comes from a different starting point, and everyone processes and learns information differently. Don’t be discouraged if things don’t click right away. What is important is that you make progress on advancing your skills, not that you arrive at perfection. Being aware and reflective of where you came from, how you have grown, and where you need to go next is an essential skill of a responsive and adaptable teacher.

Good luck and welcome to all of our incoming trainees, and congratulations to those who have already completed the course this school year. Stay open-minded, and never stop improving your practice!