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TEFL Training In Costa Rica | Updated: 12/06/2022

TESOL Course Expectations

Written by International TEFL Academy Costa Rica

What can you expect during your month of TESOL training in Costa Rica?

During this intensive, one-month course you will acquire both the necessary skills and knowledge to become an effective and dynamic ESL teacher. There are three important areas of focus which will ensure that you achieve this goal:

- An excellent grasp of important grammar rules

- A good base of different teaching techniques

- A solid database of proven activities for use in the classroom for both adult and young learners


Rather than tackling these one at a time, we will be teaching these daily as we go along through the curriculum. You will be given a broad timeline on your first day of training, but just like the real classroom experience, it is important to leave room for some changes as you never know which teachable moment will present itself!

Here at TESOL Costa Rica, we want each and every one of you to feel at home and to really trust your trainers who are passionate about teaching and who want to see you reach your full potential. This means the door will always be open to answer any of your questions and to support you at all times, no matter the issue.

There are many components to this course:  class time, textbook reading, online quizzes, papers and projects, and most importantly teaching with real ESL students.  You will be in class multiple hours a day with one of our two trainers.  They will teach and review grammar, discuss and show teaching techniques and guide you through activities that are actually used in ESL classrooms.  Sometimes you will be in "teacher mode" and other times they will ask you to participate from a student standpoint to get a good grasp on the activities. 

During the month, you will teach six different lessons to real ESL students.  During week one of the course, you will observe real ESL classes to see what it is like and what the students are capable of doing.  Then you will get a calendar of the dates and times and level of student you will be teaching, as well as a topic.  There will be many opportunities for you to get feedback on the planning from your trainers.  They are here to help:  take advantage!   While you teach, you will be observed by one of the trainers and a peer or two.  After the lesson, as a small group, you will discuss the lesson and get constructive feedback to help you reflect and grow as a teacher.

After the day of class and teaching is through, you will have more work to do at home.  You will be asked to read the textbook to coordinate with what is being discussed in class.  The textbook has so many great resources that you will want to make note of and save so you can implement it all once you are in your own ESL classroom.  You will also take online quizzes over the material in the textbook and topics discussed in class.  Therefore, we don't recommend skipping the reading assignments! 

In addition, you are also asked to complete a few other tasks, including papers , projects and more lesson writing.  All assignments are very practical and useful in preparing you to teach ESL, but you can see how important it will be to manage your time during the course!

 

While all of these things are happening, you will be growing as a teacher, having fun and bonding with your colleagues who will become life-long friends.  We encourage you to enjoy Costa Rica during your free time and travel when you can, even if it is only a day tour.  Enjoy the moments; the month goes by quickly!

We understand the difficulties of adapting to a new setting and wish to make the transition as smooth as possible. Best of all, even after you complete your course with us, our doors will always stay open, regardless of the country you are teaching in. Hence, whenever you encounter a difficult grammar point or need some inspiration for an effective lesson, you will know who to call or email!

If you haven't yet registered for one of our 4-week, onsite TESOL courses, contact us right away!  

4-Week TESOL Course in Costa Rica OVERVIEW

Teaching ESL in Costa Rica

Alumni Q&A


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