FAQs
How long is every live session?
The live sessions are delivered on Zoom and last for 90 minutes.
Are the live sessions recorded?
Yes, recordings of the live sessions will be made available to course participants only.
How much work will I need to do before and after the live sessions?
This may vary. Your tutors might give you a short pre-task before a session so you arrive prepared with some ideas. After the live session, some further reading or viewing will be suggested and you will be asked to consider the issues in the live session in relation to your own work. However, you will need to set aside time for each of the two assignments.
What are the two assignments?
The first assignment is a defined task from your tutors. Normally it takes the form of a lesson worksheet with teacher’s notes. The idea is that you apply all the key principles covered in the first five sessions and produce a piece of material which can be used both by yourself and your teaching colleagues. The second assignment (after all ten sessions) is defined by you in the final weeks of the course. You will develop a plan for material (or a set of materials) which will help you in your own teaching or might be used by other teachers in your school, college or university. Your tutor will help you to develop and define your assignment plan and then you will write it.
How will I receive tutor feedback on my assignments?
Your tutor will give you feedback in the same way that a professional editor and publisher would give you feedback. Usually, this means inserting comments into a word document. This may vary depending on your materials; for example, if you create a piece of video material, then the tutor will write feedback in a separate document.
Do both tutors give me feedback?
You will receive feedback from one tutor depending on your tutor’s specialism. Kath has a background in writing materials for young learners and teenagers. John works in the area of upper secondary and adult publishing. Both tutors have experience in writing for other contexts too (CLIL, low resource contexts, ESP, teacher training, etc.) So the choice of assignment tutor will partly depend on your target learners.
When do I have to pay the course fee?
Once you have registered for the course, we will check that the course is right for you. If we are certain that you will benefit from taking the course, we will offer you a place and a request for payment to secure your place.
How do I pay for it?
The email with an offer includes a link to payment using the ‘Wise’ payment platform. Wise.com is a proven payment platform that is secure and safe. Alternatively, you can make a bank transfer to the UK using the details provided in the email.
Is my level of English high enough?
Normally, we expect a minimum of C1 level English. If you have any doubts, we would be happy to arrange a zoom meeting to discuss your level and needs.
Have I been teaching long enough? How experienced will other people be?
Everyone on this course has different teaching backgrounds and has been teaching for different lengths of time. Participants might include a relatively inexperienced teacher with 1 or 2 years’ experience or it could be a teacher who has already published some of their writing. We believe that active participants will take something new away from every session; in addition, you are encouraged to develop materials during the course which reflect your personal context and experience. One of the greatest benefits of this kind of course is the community of practice and sharing of knowledge and practice that takes place between participants.
Do I receive a certificate on completion?
Yes, you will receive a certificate with the name of the course and a summary of the course content. Certificates will be issued on completion of your second assignment with feedback from the tutor.
Do I receive a grade? Can I fail the course?
You don’t receive a grade and we don’t award pass or fail. That’s because we will work with you at your starting point and hope to develop your materials in a way that is relevant to you. Also, writing materials is very subjective; ultimately, whether the materials ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ depends on how well they work in the classroom with your target learners.
Will I have a chance to ask questions?
Yes, of course. We build in time for questions in the live sessions but we will also welcome questions and discussion in a closed group (either on facebook or whatsapp depending on the group).
How do I contact the course tutors?