The new scheme will allow prospective teachers to train for an approved qualification while working at a language school, with an aim of increasing the number of qualified academic staff in the UK
(LONDON): INTO University Partnerships’ teacher education division, NILE, is supporting the development of a new Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) qualification, launched by English UK.
The English language teacher training scheme, AccessTEFL, was announced on 01 March at the UK English ELT Conference 2024. The program provides an access route to English language teaching careers in the UK, wherein teachers will train on the job through a guided Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme.
AccessTEFL provides a route into English language teaching for those who do not have an existing TEFL qualification. It will have TEFL initiated (TEFLi) status and be accepted under Accreditation UK criteria for teacher recruitment.
The scheme will be run by English UK, with day-to-day support, oversight and moderation from teacher training specialists from NILE - Norwich Institute for Language Education, part of the INTO University Partnerships group.
The initiative grew out of Accreditation UK's four-yearly review of its inspection criteria, requirements and guidance. The working group responsible for reviewing the scheme's qualification requirements recommended the positive benefits of an 'apprentice teacher' approach.
In response, English UK developed a low-cost in-service qualification route that aims to increase the overall number of qualified teachers, make ELT more accessible as an industry, and improve the levels of support offered to new teachers. With hands-on support from NILE’s language teaching experts, candidates will acquire crucial skills and knowledge within a UK ELT teaching and learning context, with their school providing the mentorship and professional development that they need.
Thom Kiddle, Director of NILE, said: "We are excited to be working on a new project with the team at English UK – developing and managing a situated and supported CPD scheme, AccessTEFL, for new teachers joining English UK schools.
"The scheme, to be launched later this year, will ensure new entrants to the profession are supported with structured, focused development activities, observation and feedback while they learn their craft; and help accredited English UK members recruit teachers in combination with the traditional TEFLi routes."
The program requires 40 hours of study and 80 hours of teaching before completion, during which time candidates are observed by their mentor and spend time observing and working with other teachers. The core modules include The English Language, The English Language Learner, The English Language Classroom, and Reflective Practice.
NILE is one of the world’s largest providers of professional development courses for English language teaching and has trained more than 70,000 teachers from over 90 different countries since 1995.
"We are delighted to launch ATEFL after many months planning. Many ELT centres have been struggling to hire enough qualified teachers to meet increasing student demand, and that could impede the continuing growth of UK ELT," said Jodie Gray, Chief Executive of English UK.
"We believe ATEFL is a great way for centres to grow and develop their own staff, supporting people who are keen to teach English in the UK but who do not have a conventional TEFLi qualification. This is an affordable and accessible way for centres to train high-quality staff as part of their staff CPD, and we hope that as many as possible will be able to take advantage of it."