Course content

Skills and knowledge assessed

The skills and knowledge that teachers need to demonstrate to attain the CertPT are those that will benefit them in their professional practice, namely, their ability to:

• Evaluate
• Adapt
• Create
• Reflect (on the use of classroom materials with professional knowledge and insight)

Purpose and intended learning outcomes

The CertPT uses resource evaluation, creation and application as a means to support the development of teachers’ knowledge and practice. Recognising that effective CPD stems from the identification of specific learning and teaching needs relevant to context, the CertPT provides the opportunity for teachers to take an evaluative approach to their needs, relative to their context.

With direct reference to their local teaching context, successful course participants will be able to demonstrate an ability to:

1. Evaluate teaching/training resources, making suggestions that will help meet the needs of a specified learner/learner group
   
   
2. Adapt teaching/training resources to meet the needs of a specified learner/learner group
   
   
3. Create teaching/training resources to meet the needs of a specified learner/learner group
   
   
4. Justify pedagogical decisions for teaching/training of a specified learner/learner group
   
   
5. Reflect on pedagogical decisions made to meet the needs of a specified learner/learner group
   
   
6. Demonstrate an awareness of formative assessment on a specified learner/learner group
   
   
7. Use academic referencing to meet the needs of ILOs 1–6 above

Example course types

With learning outcomes that are focused on pedagogical skills rather than on language-specific knowledge, the CertPT is versioned according to the chosen teaching contexts, enabling teachers to build their specialist knowledge as they develop as educational professionals. Centres must indicate which version(s) they plan to run in their course proposal.

CertPT versions might include:

• Teaching online (online learners)
• Communicative language teaching (learners in a communicative language learning environment)
• Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) (CLIL learners)
• Exam support resources (learners preparing for a specified exam)
• Using literature and drama in language teaching (learners learning through literature and drama)
• Teaching Business English (business English learners)