TEFL Istanbul (Turkey)

Each component comprises a set of standardized statements of competence, accompanied by indicators of success. The indicators describe the skills, knowledge and qualities associated with effective teachers of English as a Foreign Language. The standardized statements of competence are as follows:

Pedagogy Theory

• Describe a range of teaching methodologies, approaches and strategies
• Describe the skills, knowledge and qualities which characterize an effective teacher
• Describe the factors which influence the establishment of an effective learning environment
• Describe a range of strategies for supporting, monitoring and assessing student progress

Language Awareness

• Describe the purposes and nature of Communication
• Describe key features in relation to the structure of the English language
• Describe and explain the English tense system and other, commonly taught, grammatical features
• Describe how sounds are made and modified and use phonetic symbols to describe the sounds of English

Teaching Skills

• Design and prepare effective lessons
• Prepare and manage the physical learning environment and use resources in an appropriate way
• Provide innovative and flexible learning experiences for individuals and groups of students
• Create learning environments that are student-centered, challenging and safe

Cultural Awareness

• Engage in the process of learning a foreign language
• Demonstrate an awareness of the issues in relation to culture and language teaching
• Demonstrate a willingness to foster positive relationships with members of the local community
• Demonstrate an awareness of cultural similarities and differences and our shared cultural heritage

Life Skills

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills
• Demonstrate effective communication skills
• Demonstrate effective decision-making skills
• Demonstrate effective organizational skills
• Demonstrate effective financial skills
• Demonstrate effective employment awareness skills
• Demonstrate effective legal awareness skills
• Demonstrate effective personal welfare skills

Each component of the Via Lingua program is allocated a minimum number of study hours. These study hours mainly involve:

• direct contact with trainers or mentors in workshop sessions, planning meetings, lesson preparation or review meetings;
• direct contact with students during teaching practice sessions;
• private study and preparation;
• record keeping and personal reflection linked to the maintenance of a professional portfolio.

The content of each of the five components can be described as follows:

Pedagogy Theory

• Teaching and learning a foreign language
• Language teaching methodologies
• The syllabus
• The effective teacher
• Classroom management skills
• Language teaching materials
• Lesson planning
• Teaching receptive skills
• Teaching productive skills (speaking)
• Teaching vocabulary
• Teaching pronunciation
• Teaching grammar
• Responding to mistakes and errors
• Language games
• The assessment of language learners

Language Awareness

• The purpose and nature of communication
• Word classes
• Verb types and verb forms
• The tense system
• The present simple tense and the present continuous tense
• The past simple tense, the past continuous tense, the past perfect tense (simple and continuous)
• The present perfect tense (simple and continuous)
• Expressing the future
• Conditional sentences
• The passive voice
• Gerunds and infinitives
• Modal auxiliary verbs
• Multi-word verbs
• Phonology

Teaching Skills

• Six hours of observing experienced teachers
• Eight hours of assessed teaching practice (*groups and or individual students)
• Sixteen hours of supported lesson preparation time
• Eight hours of post-lesson discussions

Cultural Awareness

• The cross-cultural dimension of language teaching
• The Group Project

Life Skills

• Interpersonal skills
• Communication skills
• Decision-making skills
• Organizational skills
• Financial awareness skills
• Employment awareness skills
• Legal awareness skills
• Personal welfare skills

Food and clothing

Dishes native to the Marmara region reflect characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine and are often rich in vegetables, herbs and fish. Commonly-used ingredients in Turkish dishes include: meat, eggplant, green peppers, onions, garlic, lentils, beans, tomatoes, nuts (namely pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts) with spices such as parsley, cumin, black pepper, paprika, mint, oregano and thyme found in just about every dish - albeit a pastry for desert or lamb for the entrée Business casual is your best bet.

Climate

The climate of Istanbul has a climate classified as temperate-continental - with hot and humid summers and cold, rainy and often snowy winters. With a somewhat high humidity exacerbating the warm, summertime temperatures, the heat often feels more intense than indicated.

Excursions and cultural highlights

Bosphorus Tour - A traditional excursion by boat along the waterway which separates Europe from Asia. The shore is lined with old wooden villas, palaces of marble, fortresses, and small fishing villages. During the excursion you will pass the magnificent Dolmabahce Palace, and further along, the parks and imperial pavilions of Yildiz Palace. On the coastal edge of this park, is Ciragan Palace, 300 meters of is marble facade faces the shore. At Ortakoy a great variety of artists gather every Sunday to display their work along the street. Ortakoy is a symbol of tolerance with a church, a mosque and a synagogue existing side by side for centuries.

Accommodation

Accommodation is provided in fully-furnished shared apartments within walking distance from the e school.