Specialty 30-Hour TEFL Certificate Course

Week 1: Modules 0 – 4

Module 0) Pre-course – Intro to Course and How to Navigate 
Virtually meet your peers, get comfortable with the online Canvas platform, and prepare yourself for what’s to come.  

Module 1) The Young Learner 
Identify the different types of learners and go over the language development stages.  

Module 2) Young Learner Motivation 
Understand your students and learn their motivations. Learn to observe multiple intelligences to better understand your students and their education. 

Module 3) Classroom Management  
How should you manage such young learners? Create class rules and learn skills on handling classrooms when they fall apart. 

Module 4) Approaches and Methods for Teaching Young Learners  
Learn methods for teaching as well as different approaches to teaching young learners. 

Week 2: Modules 5 – 8

Module 5) Providing a Language Context for Learning  
Strategies for providing context and visual aids for teaching. 

Module 6) Teaching Systems to Young Learners 
The basics of vocabulary and grammar as well as practical lessons and games to have on hand.  

Module 7) Teaching Speaking to Young Learners 
Promote fluency through error correction, songs and chants for the class. 

Module 8) Teaching Listening to Young Learners  
Learn how children listen and learn ways to encourage listening in the classroom. 

Week 3: Modules 9 – 12

Module 9) Teaching Reading to Young Learners 
Understand the relationship between reading and writing as well as the basic concepts of reading. Learn how to use stories and other skills to teach reading.

Module 10) Teaching writing to young learners 
Unpack the basics of writing and understand the approaches to teaching writing.  

Module 11) Assessing Young Learners 
How will you assess your young students? Introduce testing to your class and learn skills on how to create quality tests. 

Module 12) Beyond the Classroom  
Where do young learners learn English? Understand English through the internet and media, as well as hobbies and sports.  

Week 1: Modules 0 – 4

Module 0) Pre-course – Intro to Course and How to Navigate 
Virtually meet your peers, get comfortable with the online Canvas platform, and prepare yourself for what’s to come.  

Module 1) The Teenage Learner 
Understand the role of teenagers in the classroom as well as their motivations as language students.  

Module 2) Classroom Management  
Build relationships with your teen students and learn tools to manage your classroom. 

Module 3) Methods and Approaches  
Unpack the approaches to teaching English at the teenage level. 

Module 4) Lesson Planning  
What kinds of lessons will engage your teenagers? Learn about different learning styles applied to lesson planning. 

Week 2: Modules 5 – 8

Module 5) Getting Started 
Get started leading your classroom with tricks on warm-ups and warm-downs. 

Module 6) Teaching Systems to Teenagers 
Learn to successfully teach grammar and vocabulary as well as skills on answering conceptual questions about grammar and vocabulary. 

Module 7) Teaching Speaking to Teenagers 
Unpack speaking a new language and develop skills on encouraging speaking in the classroom.  

Module 8) Teaching Listening to Teenagers  
Create listening activities and ways to encourage language listening in the classroom. 

Week 3: Modules 9 – 12

Module 9) Teaching Reading to Teenagers 
What is reading? Learn reading strategies for your students.  

Module 10) Teaching Writing to Teenagers 
Break down the meaning of writing and how to teach writing to teenage students.  

Module 11) Teaching with Technology  
Evaluate the internet and social media in EFL classrooms.  

Module 12) Assessment  
Assessing your teenage students. Learn to provide proper quizzes and exams.  

Week 1: Modules 0 – 4

Module 0) Pre-course – Intro to Course and How to Navigate 
Virtually meet your peers, get comfortable with the online Canvas platform, and prepare yourself for what’s to come.  

Module 1) The Adult Learner 
Understanding the basic motivations of adult learners and best teaching strategies.  

Module 2) Classroom Issues  
What kinds of issues arise in an adult classroom and how can you handle them? Understand the different abilities and ages in the adult classroom.  

Module 3) Classroom Management for Adults  
Learn to deal with problems in the adult classroom.  How do you respectfully make a correction? Understand appropriate classroom language.  

Module 4) Approaches to Lesson Planning  
Gain skills on planning lessons for adult learners. What kinds of activities are best?  

Week 2: Modules 5 – 8

Module 5) Student-Centered Learning  
Unpack the meaning of student-centered learning and learn how to apply it to your classroom.  

Module 6) Grammar, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation  
You might know grammar, but have you tried teaching it? Learn skills on teaching pronunciation and vocabulary. 

Module 7) Teaching Verbal Communication Skills to Adults  
Understand the listening process and learn skills to apply to your classroom and lesson plan. 

Module 8) Teaching Written Communication Skills to Adults  
Understand and break down the reading and writing process. Learn to assess reading and writing at the adult level.  

Week 3: Modules 9 – 12

Module 9) English for Specific Purposes (ESP) 
Understand the meaning and kinds of specific purposes there are for learning English. Learn to design lesson plans and classes around this. 

Module 10) ESP: Business English 
Learn what makes business English so different and how to adjust lessons accordingly. 

Module 11) ESP: EAP (English for Academic Purposes) Exam Preparation  
The importance of EAP and specific characteristics of EAP.

Module 12) Virtual Teaching  
Discover the essentials to teaching English online and the tools to do it successfully.  

This course is right for you if: 

• You are looking to land a specific type of teaching position  
• You are already teaching and are looking to deepen your understanding of age-specific pedagogy.  
• You’re teaching where TEFL isn’t required but want to gain some TEFL skills to build your confidence in the classroom.
• You’re enrolled in the 150-hour TEFL course and want to add age-specialization training and stand out from the competition  
• You’re looking to professionalize teaching experience while you are living and teaching abroad.  

To be eligible for a CIEE TEFL course, you must:

• Be a native English speaker or have an advanced level of English proficiency equivalent to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) C1 level or higher. Nonnative English speakers must submit proof of their English proficiency.
• Be at least 18 years of age or older.
• Have strong reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills.
• Be able to use a personal computer and have consistent access to the internet. 

No, you likely won't be certified to teach English abroad after taking only the CIEE 30-Hour Age Specialization course.

Here's why:

• Focus on Age Group: This course is designed to deepen your knowledge in teaching English to a specific age group (young learners, teens, adults). It builds on existing TEFL knowledge.
• International Standards: Most international teaching positions require a minimum of 120 hours of TEFL training, often including a practicum component where you gain practical teaching experience.

Even without full TEFL certification, the 30-Hour Age Specialization course equips you to excel in teaching environments where TEFL certification isn't mandatory. Gain the tools to feel confident and connect effectively with your chosen age group in the classroom.

That said, if you are looking to meet international standards for TEFL training or if you want to go above and beyond to stand out from the competition, we recommend that you consider taking a foundational TEFL course, like CIEE’s premium 150-Hour TEFL Certificate course that provides a comprehensive overview of teaching English as a foreign language.

Boost your resume by bundling! By choosing CIEE’s 180-Hour TEFL Certificate course, you will receive both the building blocks of TEFL methodologies as well as the 30-Hour age specialization training to help you master the skills to teach English as a foreign language. 

The suitability of the CIEE 30-hour age specialization course for beginners with no prior teaching experience depends on a few factors:

• Course content: While the course might delve into specific age group teaching methods, it does build upon a foundation of general TEFL knowledge that is taught in the CIEE 150-Hour TEFL Certificate course. Without prior TEFL training, some concepts might be challenging to grasp.
• Learning style: If you're a fast learner who thrives in intensive environments, you might be able to keep up. However, beginners with no teaching background might benefit from a more comprehensive TEFL course first.  

For those looking for a more comprehensive TEFL certificate course, we recommend starting your TEFL journey with the 150-Hour TEFL Certificate course.   

All course content is online so if you have a computer with access to the internet you are good to go.