Saudi Gazette For the first time in Jeddah, London Teacher Training College (LTTC) and Master English organized a two-day TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) workshop for English teachers in Sofitel Al-Hamra hotel in Al-Fursan meeting hall. Sponsored by Curves (the leading US women's health fitness centre), the event was attended by 40 English teachers from various international schools and universities, who successfully completed the 15-hour program. Subjects discussed were TEFL as a career, lesson planning, classroom management, teaching methodologies, teaching young learners and teenagers, teaching productive and receptive skills followed by a quick self-reflection assessment. The workshop was led by Fatmah Azam Ali, a certified ESL instructor, owner of Master English and a partner of LTTC. She briefly shed light on the workshop: “TEFL, otherwise known as Teaching English as a Foreign Language is the same as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), the only difference being the location of the learner where the learner is studying English. If a non-English speaker is staying in an English speaking country, he or she would be studying for TESOL or would be known as ESOL learners in US, UK, Australia and Canada. English learners anywhere else apart from these countries are known as EFL learners, and hence the qualification.” “A teacher who would want to excel in her teaching ability by adopting a specific teaching style for a specific audience, TEFL qualification is an absolute necessity. The certification educates the teacher on several aspects of English teaching practice. Furthermore, the certification itself is a proof of her professional teaching skills she obtained by hands-on training with the trainer, thereby giving her the recognition and credibility of a professional instructor. In order to be a certified EDI-approved EFL instructor, LTTC offers a 120-hour TEFL certificate program that caters to the specific needs of an EFL student therefore giving you their excellent performance results. The two-day workshop conducted was a part of the 120-hour TEFL certification program. If you are a graduate, teaching or are planning to teach, an EDI-approved 120-hour TEFL certificate is your gateway to excellent teaching opportunities in well-known schools and even universities,” she added. Ali says that native English speakers need to take the course as well because language by itself cannot guarantee excellent teaching skills. Teaching is an art that is honed and mastered. It requires focus and not just any random approach. Active discussions regarding individual experiences also helped attendees gain more knowledge. LTTC and Master English also conduct certified one-day workshops, such as, certificate in grammar, phonology, six-hour TEFL workshop and many more. __
