Prepare for a career teaching English in international secondary schools with the English specialisation at ITESS. You’ll grow into an engaging, inclusive, and culturally sensitive educator, with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to teach English effectively, including a broad understanding of language development, literature and culture, and second language acquisition.
What’s in it for you:
Develop advanced skills in teaching English, from grammar and pronunciation to fluency and literature
Explore diverse literary works, from classic to contemporary, and learn to analyse their cultural contexts
Learn to design and implement lesson plans that are effective for diverse learners and use digital tools appropriately
Acquire strategies for creating inclusive and culturally responsive classrooms
Learn to reflect on your strengths, areas for growth and teaching philosophy to prepare you for a meaningful career
The programme
The programme is comprised of three interconnected strands, each designed to give you the knowledge and skills needed to teach English effectively in international secondary schools. Through both research-based and design-based approaches, you’ll explore different pedagogical methods and develop tactics for creating engaging, student-centred learning environments. The strands form a cohesive curriculum that also aligns with the broader ITESS course, which emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of reflective, culturally responsive educators.
Develop both your own language proficiency and your ability to teach language skills effectively. You’ll examine phonetics, pronunciation and grammar giving you a solid linguistic foundation. You’ll also further develop your proficiency, focusing on academic and professional English and strategies for teaching complex language concepts and acquire skills for producing valid and reliable assessments.
In this strand, you’ll read and analyse a wide range of literary works, including poetry, short stories, and novels, and explore a range of English classics, modern texts and world literature. This will deepen your own literary understanding and help you acquire the pedagogical strategies needed for teaching literature in diverse international contexts. You’ll also dive into the history of the English language and explore its place as an international language in the world today. The courses focus on understanding cultural identity, and the ability to analyse and interpret literature from various perspectives. Through these studies, you’ll learn how to foster an appreciation of literature in your future students, encouraging them to think critically about texts and their cultural contexts.
The TESOL strand focuses on the theory and practice of teaching English as a second or foreign language. You’ll explore key teaching methodologies and their use in the classroom and develop practical skills such as lesson delivery, student engagement and assessment techniques. You’ll also learn to design comprehensive, student-centred curricula that meet education standards and the needs of diverse learners.
Practical approach
To prepare you for the complexities of teaching in international school settings, you'll undertake practical assignments that focus on application, reflection and skill refinement. You'll develop the confidence and competence needed to thrive in diverse classrooms by engaging in simulated class lessons where you get feedback from peers and instructors, role play, where you get to adapt your approaches to different teaching contexts, and through multifaceted projects that incorporate different skills and tools needed in the international classroom.
Practical assignments include, for instance:
Designing interactive lessons, multimodal curricula and professional development workshops
Designing lesson plans that incorporate differentiate instruction
Developing lesson plans that integrate technology
Developing alternative assessment tools to address students’ unique needs
Researching specific topics such as inclusive classroom practice, second language acquisition or assessment tools
Is this the degree for you?
If you're confident this degree is the one for you, then why not apply online straightaway? Or pick one of the other options to help you take the next step.
