English for Teachers

The skills acquired by the participants can be useful for:

• Speaking more effectively in public and better controlling and reducing stress.
• Getting more confidence while teaching and expressing their arguments, statements and opinions in a more understandable and clear manner.
• Understanding the basics of conversation not only in person but also on the internet.
• Widening the teachers’ opportunities of the resources and material they can view online, regarding both work topics and materials for personal use.
• Being more aware of both British and Spanish culture and traditions.
• Understanding cultural elements that they may come across through potential work with English or Spanish speaking individuals which they previously would not have been aware of. The course promotes multiculturalism and the understanding of other cultures aside from their own.
• Promoting internationalism, tolerance and simple worlds’ curiosity among students and their co-workers.

• DAY 1: Introduction

Language competences test to evaluate participants’ actual level of English
Introduction to Spanish tradition and culture (watching and analysing video about most important Spanish traditions and celebrations)
Grammar & Vocabulary Summary
Introduction to the next class
Educational systems and programmes in Europe
Introduction to Spanish and British/ American educational system
Comparison and description of educational programmes in participants’ countries (teamwork, presentation)
‘Seville in a nutshell’ – short walking tour in English through Seville (most important monuments, heritage and history)

• DAY 2: Communication skills / Workshop 

Communication skills as one of the key competences in teaching and learning Discussion
How to communicate effectively with students? – brainstorming, sharing of experiences and ideas
English pronunciation –introduction
Distribution of topics to be prepared for the next class, explaining a form of presentation
Effective learning & teaching methods / Presentation and practice
Each participant’s presentation of one type of effective learning & teaching methods including practical explanation of its functioning e.g. short exercises for the whole group
Examples of learning methods to be presented:
– Mnemotechnics
– Mind-maps
– Effective note taking

Examples of teaching methods to be presented
– VAK – visual, auditory, kinetics
– Case study
– Simulation games
– Decision trees
– Watching and analysing presentations of each group member (body language, communication skills, etc.)

• DAY 3: Online learning and ICT tools in education 

Modern ICT tools in education – discussion and presentation of extracurricular online courses and tools available for students
Debate: ‘The traditional education should be replaced by online learning’
Video analysis – arguments, communication skills, vocabulary, grammar structures, pronunciation
Introduction to Problem Based Learning
Introduction to Problem Based Learning methodology
Are school programmes designed to support or to limit students’ creativity and individualism? – discussion and case study (simulation of PBL class)
Should children be able to choose their courses from the age of 12?
Advantages and disadvantages of prioritising individualism at school – exchange of professional experiences

• DAY 4: Family and Religion in Education / Writing Skills – workshop 

Successful writing – workshop
Family and its role and functioning in various cultures (emphasis on its role in education) – discussion and preparing individual essays
Religion in Education – discrimination because of religion or belief in schools  Case study
Should religion be taught at school? If so, in which form? – preparation of essays
Comparing the issue of religion as a school subjects in various countries – discussion
Improving Listening Skills
Successful listening – workshop
Listening exercises, quizzes and tests
The idea of multiculturalism – brainstorming
Multiculturalism in different countries – presentations
Teamwork – risks and benefits related to multiculturalism at school

• DAY 5: Course Summary

Final test and evaluation
Summary of goals and results achieved
Networking (exchanging of contacts, etc.)
Tapas evening – Spanish cuisine: tradition and practice – theoretical and practical workshop, revision of food and ‘going out’ vocabulary

Hading in Training Certificates.