Introduction to the course

Welcome to the start of our course. This course will help you make decisions about the kind of English language teacher you want to be.

In this first week of the course, we’re going to begin our exploration by talking about the different teaching situations and different types of learners you could encounter. We’re also going to talk about motivation and strategies you can use to engage learners and keep them motivated.

In the following weeks, we’ll dive deeper into the world of English language teaching by looking at what the job involves, for example, planning lessons and managing learners, teaching vocabulary and using resources. There will be question and answer sessions at the start of every week where our educators will answer the questions you have about teaching English.

In the final week we’ll suggest some next steps you can take to set off on your own adventure of becoming a teacher of English. We’ll talk about training options and our teachers will give you advice on how to prepare for life as an English language teacher. We’ll hear from learners about their experience of teachers and learning and there will be more from our teachers, educators and mentors.

Outline of Week 1

This week we’ll start with some introductions and talk to some teachers about why they became English language teachers. Here are the key questions we’re going to answer:

• Where can I teach English?
• Who do I teach?
• How easy is it to learn another language?
• What do teachers do to help learners learn English?
• Why do people learn English?
• What challenges do learners face?
• How can teachers keep learners motivated?

We’ll also include a glossary each week which we’ll build on during the course and which includes terms like CELTA (the qualification that Monica talked about in the video) and terms like Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation.

Before you start

If you haven’t done so already, please fill out our pre-course survey.

If this is your first FutureLearn course, you may find it helpful to browse the Using FutureLearn and FAQ pages before moving on.

Get extra benefits, upgrade your course

You can now get extra benefits by upgrading this course, including:

Unlimited access to the course: Go at your own pace with unlimited access to the course for as long as it exists on FutureLearn.

Access to tests: Ensure you’ve mastered the material with access to tests on the course.

A Certificate of Achievement: To help you demonstrate your learning we’ll send you a Certificate of Achievement when you become eligible.

Find out more.