Foreign, Second or First - the difference matters

Recently a leading language institute in Chile advertised that they were seeking an ESL (E2L) teacher for an ESL (E2L) programme. Of course they were not; they were looking for an EFL teacher for an EFL programme. The evidence? Classes were one hour long, held twice a week which in an English-speaking country would be insufficient for E2L, but in an hispano-hablante country, impossible.

This provokes two questions. Does the institute, and do teachers and do schools, know the difference between Second and Foreign? Secondly, what is the difference between Second, Foreign (and by extension, First)?

TKT Core and TKT - Young Learners Examination Preparation

 

Cambridge English ("CEE") offers two certification tracks, one for English Language and one for English Teaching. CEE's teaching certification has three levels, and the entry level is known as TKT or the Teaching Knowledge Test which has six modules, the three "TKT Core" modules and three "TKT specialist" modules. These two programmes will prepare you for TKT Core and/or TKT - Young Learners.

Assessment or Evaluation - same difference?

The terms "assessment" and "evaluation" are often used interchangeably and may be viewed as synoynms. Techniques, tasks and activities may be the same. The wider community generally sees no difference. However, significant differences exist in the purpose(s) of any such instrument and so having distinct terms is valuable. This session reviews "assessment" and "evaluation" as representing two essential yet refquently misunderstood and misapplied concepts.

March 2022

Click on the event title(s) below for more information. Leave your questions or comments below, or contact us for registration information. The events below are open group sessions from our Seminars, Advanced Use of English and Professional Conversation programmes; contact us to ask about scheduling open on demand or closed private programmes. 

This page is updated twice a week so please check back, or join the emailing list for event announcements.

February 2022

Click on the event title(s) below for more information. Leave your questions or comments below, or contact us for registration information. The events below are open group sessions from our Seminars, Advanced Use of English and Professional Conversation programmes; contact us to ask about scheduling open on demand or closed private programmes. 

This page is updated twice a week so please check back, or join the emailing list for event announcements. If you have a suggestion or request for an event, please let us know.

Plug-and-play Reading Comprehension : Volcanoes

Not only are volcanoes in the news, but they are a frequent topic in G4 and they provide an excellent base for a Science / Social Studies / Art / Music and of course Language unit. This plug-and-play Reading and Vocabulary lesson is based on an authentic G4 text and can be used as-is, or as a model for similar lessons on other topics in EFL and E2L / bilingual programmes.

Planning and Running a Successful Field Trip

The key to a successful Field Trip is simple : Planning and Preparation. This session considers how to make your Field Trip a success, how to avoid the usual problems, how to create an educationally sound event and how to do so following a teacher-friendly approach. 

Introduction to Cambridge International Education

This seminar provides an overview of Cambridge International's (CIE) programmes, how CIE differs from its stablemates Cambridge English and OCR, its underlying philosophy, where to find more information and how to interpret that information.

Advanced Use of English Vocabulary : Diversifying Your School's Income Streams

This is Advanced English Vocabulary session grew from a coaching seminar for school leaders and administration staff. During this one-hour single-topic session, we review the vocabulary of Income items, and explore the terms and related language.

CAE Preparation Intensive February 2022

 

Two-week, eight-day, intensive CAE Preparation course. (Actually, its official name is Cambridge C1 Advanced; we use "CAE" only because it is so well-known.) This leisurely-paced programme follows a tried-and-true effective schedule which maximises learning time and minimises stress.

For February 2023, please click here.