Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL)

The goal of the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program is to enhance the professional knowledge and practical skills of in-service and pre-service classroom teachers in Armenia and the region. It is designed to meet the needs of those current and future teachers who may not have the time or aspiration to pursue a Master’s degree, but who do want to keep up with the latest developments in the field, and expand and improve their own teaching.

The program consists of two 15-week semesters. Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive a Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Those holders of the CTEFL who wish to pursue further study towards the MA TEFL may transfer all 4 CTEFL courses for the MA TEFL Program (or 25% of the MA TEFL total credits).

Course Schedule for Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language

TEFL 302 – Teaching Language Skills I

This first part of a two-part language skills course introduces the underlying theories and classroom practices for teaching ESL/EFL reading, writing, listening and speaking. The course highlights the nature of literacy and oral language development, beginning language skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, pronunciation), and meaning-focused language instruction. As a foundational, practical course in the MA TEFL program, there is a focus on developing students’ technical abilities to effectively design and deliver classroom activities that target language skills and integrate them into coherent lesson plans. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

TEFL 303 – Teaching Language Skills II

Teaching Language Skills II builds on the foundational, practical skills presented in TEFL 302. Specific topics in this course include vocabulary development, fluency, comprehension, the writing process, and learning strategy instruction. The course highlights the reflective process in teacher development. Students will engage in frequent application and evaluation of various activities in microteaching and actual teaching contexts. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

TEFL 304 – Classroom Assessment

This course focuses on school/classroom-based assessment. It provides the latest information on the theoretical principles of language testing and assessment and discusses the implementation of the principles in real life practices. The primary focus of the course is on language assessment in classroom context. In addition, the course provides learners with knowledge and skills required for critically examining the existing tests and selecting or developing appropriate tests for their own academic context. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

TEFL 321 – English Grammar: Structure and Pedagogy

This course studies English sentence structure – morphology, syntax, and semantics – as it relates to the teaching and testing of ‘grammar’. The students examine the sentence level grammar of English in terms of both the forms and functions of basic grammatical elements. Thus, the focus is largely on syntax and semantics, with phonological and morphological aspects of sentence level grammar considered as necessary for the fullest understanding of the structure of English. The consideration of the functions of grammatical elements requires some consideration of discourse and how grammar plays a role in creating discursive structures in longer texts. In addition, the students also learn to develop their own lesson plans and materials for teaching grammar consistent with contemporary theory and the need to focus on form within a meaning-based or communicative approach. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

Fees are calculated per credit unit, as per university policy.

Application Procedure

For information regarding application to CTEFL, visit the Admissions website.