The World Learning SIT TESOL Certificate course addresses three areas:
Participants explore the relationship between language learning and teaching, which later provides the foundation for their investigation of teaching.
Participants plan, teach and assess lessons in the four skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing), grammar, and culture, through experiential activities, teaching demonstrations, discussions, lesson planning, and readings.
Participants put their new knowledge and skills into practice through daily practice teaching sessions. Trainers observe and facilitate feedback sessions after these lessons. From them, participants learn to reflect on and assess their own teaching as well as to learn from their peers' teaching.
The sessions are all very practical and hands-on. There are four basic session types:
Information workshops. This is when you learn about effective teaching practices, frameworks, language awareness etc. This involves lots of pair and group work; it is not lecture-style.
Guided lesson planning. The trainer will give you a lot of assistance in planning your lessons at the beginning of the course. By the end of the course, you will be able to plan independently.
Practice teaching. You will have practice teaching with real ESL students. This is your opportunity to put into practice what you have learned. You will observe your peers' lessons when you are not teaching.
Post-teaching Feedback. After each practice teaching session, there will be a feedback session in which you analyze your own lesson in terms of what helped and hindered your students' learning; analyze your peers' lessons and give them feedback as well as get feedback from your peers on your lesson; and receive verbal and written feedback from the trainer on the lesson you taught. This is an incredibly valuable and important part of the learning process.
The World Learning SIT Graduate Institute (formerly the School for International Training), located in Brattleboro, Vermont, is a fully accredited university offering master degree programs in language teacher education and intercultural management as well as more than fifty undergraduate study abroad programs. The mission of the school is to enable participants to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and awareness needed to contribute effectively to global understanding.
SIT is well-known nationally and internationally for its work in language teacher education and has been training learner-oriented, culturally sensitive and humanistic language teachers in their Master of Arts in TESOL course for over thirty years. It has prepared over 2000 active professionals who are working in the field today making significant contributions as classroom teachers, administrators or consultants throughout the US and in over 70 countries around the world.
Among the earliest proponents of experiential education, SIT's program provides teachers with the knowledge to achieve excellence in their classroom practice and to be advocates for intercultural understanding. These same elements provide the basis for the design of the four-week certificate program.
Yes. ESL teaching opportunities exist around the globe. As globalization continues and the world gets smaller, English is becoming more and more important. Teaching opportunities are expanding in many countries as students and workers seek to improve their marketable employment skills. Here in New York, the most multi-cultural city in the U.S, there is a substantial ESL industry that services 2 general populations - students coming from abroad to learn English in our exciting city; and immigrants who need English for a better life here. This is all good news for qualified ESL teachers - whether you want to travel and live abroad or stay in the U.S. and discover new cultures at home.
The certificate is a pre-service credential which is recognized internationally. This certificate will help you find an entry-level position in a language institute, in an adult education program, or a literacy center domestically or overseas. Most college and university teaching positions, however, require you to have an MA TESOL degree. Almost every teaching opportunity overseas now requires the TESOL or TEFL certificate (see below for definitions), and usually one that provides over 120 hours of instruction including a practicum. The SIT TESOL Certificate more than fulfills this requirement.
Job assistance is provided for all participants in the TESOL Certificate course:
Rennert works with partner agencies in several other countries for job placement assistance for native-speaking university graduates with a TESOL Certificate. Very high-level non-native speakers or those without a university degree may also be able to be placed.
Rennert New York language school regularly hires outstanding graduates as teachers after they receive their certificates. Many current Rennert teachers are alumni of the TESOL course
All TESOL alumni are provided with a comprehensive database of private language institutions, community colleges and immigrant organizations that offer ESL classes in the greater New York area, with contact details. This is particularly useful because the ESL industry, more than most, relies on resumes already received when looking for new teachers
Rennert provides information on jobs and living abroad for a variety of countries with the scoop from people who have actually lived and taught in those countries
Known job vacancies are forwarded to alumni via a monthly alumni newsletter or group e-mailings
Alumni are given tips on finding jobs, and trainers are available to review resumes and act as references
On completion of the TESOL certificate, alumni are connected to a listserv of graduates of all SIT courses worldwide to facilitate job networking
Rennert provides TESOL alumni with a list of useful websites that help you find ESL jobs. These sites offer international job postings, advice, and information about working in particular regions.
Rennert trainers are more than happy to help with any job issues and advice at any time before or after you have completed the course.
Rennert staff are available to give individual assistance with resumes and cover letters for course graduates
The WL-SIT TESOL Certificate course is taught by one trainer or two trainers working in tandem. The trainers' responsibilities include teaching the course content, processing discussions, coaching participants in developing lesson plans, coaching participants on how to plan and teach lessons from the learners' perspectives, facilitating peer teaching and learning, analyzing participants' teaching through observable learner behaviors, and providing feedback to participants based on measurable outcomes. The trainers have significant experience.
teaching a variety of levels with diverse student learners,
leading group discussions in which they help participants reflect on what they know and what they are learning about teaching and learning,
introducing frameworks and guiding the participants' use of a framework.
Participants encompass a broad range in age and experience. There are college-age students who are interested in traveling and working overseas; working professionals preparing to enter alternative careers or retirement; stay-at-home moms looking for some extra cash or to re-enter the workforce; people concerned about the economy looking for a job abroad; people wanting to travel and learn a new language and culture; and those who have been teaching in ESOL for many years without formal practical training. Non-native English speakers with strong English skills also take the course so they can teach English when they return to their own countries or elsewhere.
You must have a high school degree and show a capacity for tertiary education including a good understanding of the English language and good writing skills. Course participants need to have a language level high enough to teach an Advanced level class. Non-native speakers should have the equivalent of the below test scores. All potential course participants are required to have an oral interview (which can be done by phone) and write an essay to ensure their language skills are adequate to take the course and to teach English. All participants must show a willingness to plan and teach in groups and to work reflectively.
For non-native speakers of English, the language proficiency requirements are set as:
650 (paper-based TOEFL)
280 (computer-based TOEFL)
115 (IBT TOEFL)
900 (TOEIC)
Band 7 on IELTS
C2 on the Common European Framework
CPE
Please note that that this is a guide only. If you have not done any of these tests, we can assess your English language level in the application process.
No. To teach in the public schools you need public school certification or licensure, a process which involves an undergraduate degree (B.A.) followed by at least 13 weeks of full-time student teaching under a veteran teacher in the public school setting. However, the SIT TESOL certificate may qualify you for an aide position in a public school ESOL program.
Basically they are the same thing. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is an umbrella term that includes Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). TESOL is an acronym that is used more by US-based programs and TEFL more by British programs. Most job postings will include one of these terms.
To receive the certificate at the end of the course you must meet all the program requirements. The requirements are: 1) attend all the program sessions (allowances are made for emergency situations), 2) communicate effectively in written and oral English 3) successfully achieve the goal and objectives of the program, 4) complete all of the student teaching requirements, 5) successfully complete all program assignments. Trainers in the course will meet with you at regular intervals to give you feedback on all aspects of your work in the program. You will also do self-assessment and peer assessment as part of your program.
Yes. You can earn 5 graduate credits on the course. It is necessary to register for the credits and pay an additional $500 before the start of the course. This fee is non-refundable and awarding of credit is contingent upon receiving the certificate. Acceptance of credits is at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Our curriculum is designed by the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont, whose MA TESOL program has made them a leader in the ESL field. SIT is well-known and respected in the US and abroad for their. All of the trainers have been trained by SIT and meet their standards for qualifications and experience. SIT assesses every course in person to ensure the integrity of the certificate. Employers can rely on any potential teacher who is SIT-certified to be capable and well-trained.
The unique curriculum stresses the importance of the Experiential Learning Cycle. Unlike other courses which give you only individual "tools" for teaching, SIT introduces practical tools within the context of broader models of learning and teaching, encouraging teacher reflection and independent development. These frameworks show teachers how to continuously build their skills and knowledge, long after the course has finished.
The SIT course offers 130 hours of instruction. There is a lot of information introduced throughout the course, and all of it is essential. A shorter course simply cannot offer the same level of preparation.
Real teaching practice. SIT requires that participants teach a minimum of six hours to a real class of ESL learners. This hands-on experience is very important to employers and it makes the certificate more meaningful. Your earning the certificate means that your teaching has been evaluated and assessed and that you have not only been exposed to methodology but that you have proven you can use it effectively.
Small class size. We have a ratio of 6 participants to one trainer (with a maximum of 12 participants on one course). Each participant receives considerable individual attention and feedback from the trainers at every stage of instruction, from workshops to lesson planning to feedback on practice teaching.
Rennert New York has been in the language teaching business in New York since 1973 and has offered TESOL courses since 2005. The Rennert New York TESOL Center was formed from this in 2015. Our expertise and resources benefit you in a number of ways.
Job Opportunities. Rennert New York language school frequently hires outstanding SIT participants as instructors directly into the American English Program. Many of Rennert's teachers have gone through the course and have a common bond based on their experiences. This also means that there are plenty SIT trained teachers around to support and share their experiences with participants who are currently doing the course.
Resources and Observing Classes. Rennert's English program also means that participants have access the schools teaching resources. There are also plenty of opportunities to observe real classes taught by experienced teachers at Rennert New York language school. You can do this before taking the course, during the course or at any time after the course.
Experience. The staff at Rennert has a lot of experience in the ESL field. Rennert was a founding member of IALC, the International Association of Language Centers. Members of this organization are audited and held to the Association's strict standards for quality language instruction. As a result of Rennert's involvement in this association, we have connections to schools all over the world that will be available to you when you finish the course. Because of the cumulative experience of our staff and administration, we also have connections to schools all over the city and abroad, placing you at the center of a valuable network of schools, colleges and English language programs where you might potentially find a teaching position.
Professional Development. Rennert provides in-house professional development to all its teachers once or twice a month. All SIT TESOL course participants at Rennert can attend these sessions for free as long as they are here in New York. Rennert also offers grammar seminars for ESL professionals. These courses, at an additional charge, are especially useful for new teachers concerned about their existing grammar knowledge.
prepare course participants/trainees to teach English language to adults, in English
result in internationally-recognized certificates awarded to participants who successfully complete the course
require that applicants have an advanced/nearly proficient level of written and spoken English so that they will be credible to advanced-level students/learners
can be run as intensive, four-week, or extensive (12-week) face-to-face courses
involve 6 hours of trainer-/tutor-assessed teaching practice with actual English language learners; each participants delivers 6 hours of lessons individually
have a 100% attendance requirement (if a participant/trainee unavoidably misses a very minimal amount of time, s/he is responsible for making up all work missed)
offer participants supported lesson planning time
have workshop sessions/input that are focused on effective classroom management, techniques and foundational teaching skills
require that participants/trainees submit written work for assessment
are externally moderated (i.e., are assessed by someone external to the course and the organization/site that is running the course)
are outcomes- (goals and objectives/aims) based; participants'/trainees' progress in meeting the outcomes is continuously assessed and is mainly based on a combination of progress in planning for and teaching lessons , on written work and on participation
use professional trainers/tutors who have had to go through a structured training- of-trainers process; this is also moderated
encourage an eclectic, student-centered, communication-oriented approach to teaching
encourage participants/trainees to structure lessons logically and in a way that supports learning (e.g., the pre/before-during-post/after staging framework for receptive skills)
provides challenge for both novice and experienced teachers
The SIT TESOL Certificate course is significantly different in that it is explicitly based on SIT's application of John Dewey's Experiential Learning theories, which inform all aspects of the course. The course follows a cycle of experience and processing that starts with the course participants having a learning and/or teaching experience(s); they reflect on/analyze what happened, individually and as a group, to form theories or draw conclusions, which are then connected to current, internationally-recognized thinking/theories in the field; finally participants formulate concrete actions to take e.g., in subsequent teaching sessions. The cycle is repeated multiple times during the course.
Other significant features of the SIT TESOL Certificate course are that it:
guides participants to develop teacher thinking and reflection skills through explicit use of the experiential learning cycle; by using the cycle, participants' develop structured and increasingly in-depth reflection skills which they use as a means of improving their teaching
focuses participants' evaluation of effective teaching, consistently and explicitly, on what helped and what hindered their students' and their own learning; the course focus is learning-centered
focuses explicitly on certain principles and features of learning and teaching that are generalized beyond a specific classroom context
gives participants focused opportunity during lesson planning and practice teaching feedback to help them make connections between their teaching, their beliefs and theories in the field so that they can identify and take thoughtful and achievable actions;
includes a module focusing on understanding culture and its role in learning and teaching, and on developing inter-cultural understanding
addresses and supports teamwork explicitly in workshops, lesson planning and practice teaching throughout the course
does not necessarily offer special interest sessions commonly offered on CELTA courses (Teaching Younger Learners, Teaching Business English, CALL) as the focus on the modular content is in depth
is a pass-fail course with no grades; participants who do not meet the course requirements and competencies receive a Letter of Learning rather than a certificate
is usually a 130-hour course
is based on the work and learning theories of John Dewey, Carol Rodgers, Donald Finkel, David Kolb, Jane Vella, amongst others
A Master's program is great exposure to the many theories that underpin modern language teaching methodology. Having a master's Degree can open doors at higher education institutions such as Community Colleges and universities. However, the vast majority (about 95%) of ESL teachers currently teaching adults in private institutions only have a TESOL Certificate. There is a very good reason for this.
After finishing a TESOL Certificate course, you will be armed with the practical skills and knowledge necessary to immediately step in front of a class and start to teach English. After finishing a Master's program, you will know all about the theory behind the methodology, but you won't have the practical skills to actually teach. Many people who complete a Master's Degree then take the TESOL certificate so that they gain the skills they need to feel comfortable to teach their students. In a word, the TESOL Certificate program is extremely practical.
TESOL Programs
