The Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages has two main aims: (i) to explore the structure, grammar and phonology of the English language and (ii) to help prospective teachers increase their knowledge and understanding of teaching techniques and methodologies and develop their teaching skills.

The non-credit program examines English language teaching in relation to methods, assessment and evaluation, and materials development by:

  • Developing knowledge of the structure and grammar of English for use in the language teaching setting.
  • Increasing understanding of effective English language teaching methodologies.
  • Examining principles, issues and trends in English language learning and teaching in a range of learning contexts.

The AU Diploma in TESOL degree program allows you to study online while working full time and fulfilling your personal responsibilities. All four courses in the program are taught 100% online.

Each course is 15 weeks long. New courses begin on the first Monday of each month. The Undergraduate Diploma in TESOL program will take about 60 weeks to complete.

Below is a suggested guideline for weekly study:

Weekly Study Format
150 minutes video lecture & Powerpoint presentation (view video, review Powerpoint, take notes)
150 minutes background reading
120 minutes preparation of responses to discussion questions and tasks
90 minutes discussion forum
30 minutes online quiz
9 hours per week total
Duration: 15 weeks x 9 hours per week = 135-hour course

 

Introduction to TESOL
This program is designed for language teachers, teachers in preparation or intending teachers. It offers a practical introduction to language teaching and links practice to theory and research. The program offers students the opportunity of developing a solid pedagogical foundation through instruction in the following areas: language teaching methodology, listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, discourse, content-based instruction, using coursebooks, computer assisted language learning, learning styles and strategies, learner autonomy in the classroom, classroom-based assessment, and cross-cultural communication.

English Language Teaching Methodology
When someone teaches, they usually employ a range of activities in certain conditions that form an approach. When an approach has a theoretical background to it, it is a methodology. In this course, we look at different methodologies for TESOL, with an emphasis on the theory, principles, and procedures of the Communicative Method. However, in practice, most teachers employ a range of methodologies.

English Language Teaching Assessment
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching and learning process. Assessment not only identifies learners’ strengths and weaknesses, it also identifies strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning materials. In this course, we explore how assessment can be used in a formative sense, to help evaluate learners’ performance, as well as in the summative sense, where assessments are used to determine the effectiveness of teaching and learning. In this course, we review the role of assessment and examine ways to ensure that assessment is fair and effectively and efficiently reflects both teaching and learning.

Material Development in English Language Teaching
Materials development is concerned with all the resources available for helping the teaching and learning process. These resources include professionally printed products such as textbooks, activity books & teacher guides as well as CD-ROM, DVD, and online computer resources. Resources also include those materials created by teachers & students. In this course, we review various re- source options, discuss their advantages & disadvantages, and outline ways in which teachers can both use and create effective and efficient materials to help in the teaching and learning process.