Business & Investments

CIEE Launches Innovative Online Courses to Help Aspiring Educators Teach Abroad with Confidence

Portland, Maine (PRWEB) October 01, 2014

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange proudly announces the launch of its Teach English as a Foreign Language(TEFL) certification courses – online courses that provide optimal preparation to teach English in classrooms around the world.

In keeping with its mission to help people thrive in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse environment, CIEE TEFL courses prepare new teachers to enter classrooms with knowledge of TEFL theories and teaching practices, plus keen cultural awareness. The professional-level TEFL certification course exceeds the requirements of competitive hiring institutions and fulfills the visa terms of local and national governments.

“We want to give people all the tools they need to explore the world and its many diverse cultures,” says Matthew Redman, director of CIEE’s Teach Abroad programs. “CIEE TEFL is an important addition to our company’s offerings – it provides practical skills and knowledge and allows people to go abroad with confidence that they’re completely prepared to make the most of their time overseas.”

As a leading provider of Teach Abroad programs, CIEE has helped thousands of college graduates participate in CIEE Teach Abroad programs all over the world. By working closely with participants from the time they decide to go abroad until well after they’ve returned, CIEE has discovered that success abroad directly correlates with the sense of readiness program participants have.

In 2013, CIEE set out to build TEFL courses that would prepare participants more thoroughly than traditional TEFL courses by third-party providers. CIEE’s program developers consulted with intercultural experts, ESL professionals, education programmers, and academic peers to develop and optimize curriculum, produce content, and achieve accreditation from the World TEFL Accrediting Commission. The result is an innovative approach that addresses the needs of CIEE TEFL trainees, hiring institutions, and international English learners.

CIEE’s two TEFL courses are conducted via a convenient, cloud-based learning management system that can be accessed anywhere with computers, tablets, and mobile devices. Students attend weekly meetings, participate in discussions, and receive feedback on assignments from experienced EFL tutors. Students who choose professional-level certification also complete a 20-hour practicum in their communities or virtually, giving them a valuable opportunity to practice what they’ve learned and build confidence.

A pilot course produced positive feedback from students, who appreciate the convenience, flexibility, engaging interaction, and variation of this online format. “I liked being able to move through the modules at my own pace, and the ability to connect with my peers through discussions and tutorials,” notes a student from Massachusetts.

Equally important, students confirm that the course gives them more confidence. “I feel more comfortable about teaching now than I ever did – and I’m only halfway done!” says a student from Utah who departs soon for Thailand. “For the first time, I really began to believe in myself as a teacher,” adds a student from Michigan who soon will be teaching in Spain.

CIEE TEFL courses begin October 6; new courses begin every two weeks. Visit ciee.org/tefl, send an email to tefl@ciee.org, or call 207-274-5711 for more information.

CIEE: Council on International Educational Exchange

Founded in 1947, CIEE is the country’s oldest and largest nonprofit study abroad and intercultural exchange organization, serving 300 U.S. colleges and universities, 1,000 U.S. high schools, and more than 35,000 international exchange students each year. CIEE operates 60 study centers in 40 countries, sponsors international faculty training programs, teach abroad programs, and various specialty and custom programs for secondary, post-secondary, and international students. Visit http://www.ciee.org.

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