Teacher Training | Academic Writing & Presentation Skills

The programme

If you’re looking to grow as an English teacher and develop specific skills so you can prepare your students for language exams and higher education, this course could be perfect for you.

Studying here in Galway, one of the friendliest and most beautiful cities in the whole of Ireland, you’ll focus on learning and practising the best methods and approaches for improving students’ academic writing and speaking abilities.

Our Teacher Training + Academic Writing and Presentation Skills programme is specially designed to be practical, engaging and based on excellent teaching practices. You’ll leave more confident and prepared to take on the toughest teaching challenges.

Not only that, but you’ll also be able to explore the stunning countryside of nearby Connemara and the Wild Atlantic Way – not to mention meet locals and enjoy the lively Irish nightlife in Galway’s many pubs.

Who is this course for? 

Our Erasmus+ General English + Academic Writing & Presentation Skills programme is designed to give non-native English language teachers an upgrade on vital skills that are in ever-increasing demand in the English language classroom.

It’s suitable for you if you’d like to become an English teacher or if you’d like to develop more specialised skills to improve your teaching. 

On the course, you’ll improve your confidence in teaching English for academic purposes, and learn approaches to help your own students improve their presentation skills.

The programme also integrates General English lessons, which allow teachers the unique opportunity to observe and experience a variety of teaching styles and interact with language learners from all over the world, while also brushing up on their own speaking, listening and reading skills. 

It’s a very flexible programme and perfect for you if:

• You’re currently helping students who plan to attend university or to take a higher-level diploma in English
• You’re teaching exam classes or would like to teach exam classes
• You’re teaching advanced students and want to learn new ways to challenge and engage them
• You want to grow as a teacher and move into the field of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) or teaching exam classes
• You want to improve your own writing and presenting skills with a focus on academic contexts, perhaps because you’d like to gain the confidence to write a paper or present at a conference
• You want an engaging, fun opportunity to brush up on your advanced skills in English along with other educators and an experienced, thoughtful teacher to lead you!

What will you get out of the course?

Excellent teachers are always trying to find the most effective ways of helping their students achieve their goals.

Many language learners today are hoping to move on from their language classes into courses at universities or other institutions of higher learning.

But what is the best way of helping them to do that?

Here are some of the ways our Teacher Training + Academic Writing & Presentation Skills course will help you help your students:

• You’ll learn practical teaching methods and activities you can apply in your classroom straight away, from how to upgrade and stretch your students’ vocabulary to fun ways of building their confidence when speaking in public.
• Everything you learn is based on the best emerging approaches and pedagogy and also the experience of our trainers. For example, you’ll see how to adapt what the industry has learned from studying the language into effective language teaching. You’ll also have the opportunity to pick your trainer’s brain and collaborate with other teachers.
• You’ll have the opportunity to observe several teachers during the course of your stay, and your experience of being in the classroom will help remind you what it’s like to be a student so that you can better relate to your class when you return to work.
• Your own language use will benefit from being immersed in your English courses in Ireland, speaking English every day inside and outside of the school, and you’ll pass on that fluency and confidence to your students!

As a teacher you’ll benefit as well. In language teaching it’s important to keep training and learning about new methods. You’ll be able to show your present or future employers that you’re committed to ESL teacher training and improving how you work.

Sample Timetable

The course is tailored for two strands of university teachers:

• English for Academic Purposes (EAP) largely targeted at learners teaching English themselves or researchers of English Language and Linguistics
• English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) largely targeted at learners using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) but teach other subjects

However, our teachers will assess the needs of groups and cover the most relevant topics, the timetables below are just an example.

Class times with Suggested Topics: EAP Focus