Learn even more with our accredited 20 hour Teaching Practicum

About the TEFL UK Accredited Teaching Practicum

TEFL UK offers an optional, accredited 20-hour TEFL teaching Practicum which you can combine with your online course. The Practicum can be added to any of our online courses - our 120-hour Professional TEFL Course or our 150-hour Advanced TEFL Course.

Our flexible Practicum gives you real, practical teaching experience prior to obtaining paid teaching positions.

On achieving a Pass in your Practicum, you will receive an additional certificate from us, stating that you have also achieved 20 hours of practical teaching experience.

Why add the Teaching Practicum to your TEFL?

While many employers do not require a TEFL teaching Practicum, a substantial number of them do prefer it if potential employees have some hands-on experience. Hence, adding the Practicum to your TEFL UK qualification will strengthen your portfolio and make you stand out from the crowd.

20 hour Teaching Practicum objectives

• Will provide you with authentic teaching experience
• Will help develop your practical teaching skills
• Will help you feel more confident and prepared for teaching TEFL
• Will increase your marketability to prospective TEFL employers and help your job application stand out from the crowd

The TEFL UK Teaching Practicum Structure

Our Practicum is very flexible!

With our 20-hour flexible Practicum, we allow you to gain teaching experience in several ways:

The minimum of 20 hours of practical teaching experience can be achieved from a choice of:

• student teaching (classroom-based)
• 1:1 tutoring (face to face)
• online tutoring (1:1 or with a group) via, for example, Skype
• observation of a teacher in action in a classroom-based setting

You are free to mix and match the 20 hours as much as you like, with only one restriction: you may not complete your Practicum hours solely through observation. 

Our belief

We believe that it is not enough to read about teaching or to simply observe others teach (although observation is a very important vehicle for learning). Student teachers need know-how and, by connecting the knowledge of teaching to practical teaching skills, and through reflection, they will gradually start developing genuine practical wisdom.

Early hands-on experience with English language learners provides an opportunity for TEFL UK trainee teachers to:

• apply teaching principles to real-life situations
• build confidence in their skill and coaching style
• gain early exposure to classroom situations and various learning styles
• acquire precious teaching experience

These elements will assist you as a trainee teacher in feeling more confident and prepared, as well as adding a very competitive edge to your job search and interview process. 

What you need, to undertake the Practicum

To undertake the TEFL UK Practicum, the only requirements are as follows:

• You must have regular access to a computer (and, ideally, a printer and a scanner).
• You must be able to plan, organise and complete your Practicum within 90 days of completing your online TEFL UK course.
• You must have a positive attitude and a strong motivation to learn.
• You must take responsibility for finding the teaching practice opportunity on your own and take responsibility for planning and organising your Practicum. In our comprehensive Practicum Guide, we will provide several suggestions as to where you can carry out your Practicum and how you can plan and organise it.

The Online Practicum Guide

To take part in our online Practicum, you will need our Practicum Guide.

This comprehensive Guide will set out everything you need do to complete your 20-hour TEFL UK Practicum. It contains all the necessary guidance and forms, and a host of helpful hints for completing whichever option(s) you choose.

Here is a summary of the online Practicum Guide Modules:

Module 1: TEFL UK Practicum Overview

Module 2: TEFL UK Practicum Process and Rules

Module 3: TEFL UK Practicum Options, Tips and Guidance
1. Student teaching (classroom-based)
2. 1:1 tutoring (face to face)
3. Online tutoring (1:1 or with a group) via, for example, Skype
4. Observation of a teacher in action in a classroom-based setting

Module 4: Planning and Organising your TEFL UK Practicum

Module 5: TEFL UK Practicum Forms and Procedures

Module 6: TEFL UK Practicum Rules of Conduct

Module 7: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

You will find completing the 20 hour Teaching Practicum could not be easier with the full support of our online practicum guide.

FAQs

Who plans and organises it?

You will be responsible for planning and organising your Practicum. We will send you a full, easy to use guide detailing how the practicum is completed.

How long do I have to complete the teaching practicum?

Your Practicum must be completed within 90 days of completing your online course.

Where do I complete the teaching practicum

The hours must be completed in a setting in which non-native speakers of English are learning or are wishing to learn new English language skills. Remember: The non-native speakers of English can be adults, teenagers or children. 

Can I accept payment from my students for completing the practicum?

You are not allowed to accept ANY payment or gifts for your Practicum work. It is all carried out on a voluntary basis.

If I have previous teaching experience, can I use this toward my practicum?

TEFL UK students who have taught EFL in a certified English school within the previous 6 months of starting their TEFL UK online course are entitled to use a maximum of 10 of those hours towards their Practicum. 

How is the practicum assessed?

All your teaching/tutoring/observation hours must be verified and evaluated by a person-in-charge of you at the school or organisation, or by the individual you are teaching/tutoring/observing. To pass the Practicum, you will need to achieve a minimum of 70% of ‘satisfactory’ or above ratings in your Practicum activity. We will supply all the necessary forms for this.

You will also need to complete one or two 300-word Reflective Writing Assignments at the end of your Practicum. The number of Assignments is determined by which options you choose. These will be assessed by TEFL UK. You need to achieve a 70% pass in this activity. We will supply the necessary form(s) for this.

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Check out our general course FAQs for more info.