What is your favourite travel memory?
I had the opportunity to live in different countries and travel a lot in my career. I received my first TESOL credential in 1989 when I went to London, UK, for the first time. Since then, I have had the opportunity to travel worldwide as an English teacher, teacher trainer, and school director. The countries that I enjoyed touring the most were Egypt, Israel, India, Greece, and Turkey. I love learning about cultures and civilizations with a mix of ancient monuments, picturesque landscapes, and a rich history that spans thousands of years.
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I started with Coventry House International in 2001 when the language school industry in Canada was starting to emerge, and it became apparent that there was a need for higher teacher training standards. So we started offering in-class courses for TESL Canada accreditation, which became the first Trinity CertTESOL course in North America. We launched OnTESOL in 2003 by adapting Coventry’s in-class courses to the online format with a 200-hour course, which was the first online course to be recognized by TESL Canada. A lot has changed in these past 20 years. The 200-hour course was eventually adapted into a 120-hour course for TESL Canada Standard 1 accreditation and a 250-hour course for TESL Canada Standard 2 accreditation. Over time, technology has given us the tools to analyze data and develop materials to improve the experience for trainees. Some examples are the new FAQs Video Tutorials for key sections where we noticed trainees need the most support from their tutors, the new Lab Videos for extra support with lesson planning assignments, and the new Live Workshops to provide an interactive learning experience. Supervising and training a greater number of tutors was probably the biggest challenge in the beginning. Online education was new, the internet was completely different, and everyone (including me) had to learn a completely new set of skills. I am very happy to have had the opportunity to collaborate with amazing teacher trainers. Many tutors who started 20 years ago are still with us today.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
The most rewarding feeling is when a graduate tells us how all their work in the TESOL course made a difference. I feel accomplished when they say they qualified for a competitive job because they could write an outstanding lesson plan in their interview, get a promotion, or open their own school.
Which course would you recommend?
The 250-hour TESOL Diploma is probably one of the most comprehensive TESOL, TEFL, CELTA courses globally. However, I only recommend this program to those who have previous ELT teaching experience, are highly interested in the field of TESOL, and can dedicate the time needed to complete all assignments. The Advanced 120-hour TESOL Certificate course is sufficient for teaching positions in Canada, online, or internationally. This course includes 3 lesson plan lab assignments where trainees complete detailed lesson plans using different
Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) formats to be ready to teach any language skill in an integrated, meaningful, and authentic way. Most students combine a 20-hour specialist on Teaching English (TEO) Online, Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL), or Teaching Business English (TBE) to add extra training on task-based learning and other teaching methods related to specific classroom situations. Currently, the most popular choices are the 120-hour TESOL certificate with a 20-hour specialist option on Teaching Young Learners or Teaching Business English. This combination offers a comprehensive practical experience with the most commonly used CLT lesson planning formats: PPP, ESA, and TBL.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
The level of training in lesson planning is what makes OnTESOL unique. TESOL courses should offer technical skills so graduates can adapt to any classroom situation and supplement or replace the textbook with effective methods and materials. With OnTESOL, trainees get to complete detailed lesson plans --anywhere between 3 and 7 and receive feedback from a qualified tutor. OnTESOL also offers the option for graduates of our online TESOL courses to complete a separate Practicum module, where they have to observe and teach classes with real ESL students.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Maintaining the same standards of Coventry’s in-class courses and focusing on the quality of lesson plans and tutor feedback has been the biggest factor for our success with OnTESOL. The assignments in the course are challenging, but they have long- lasting effects on a teacher’s career as well as the learning experience of their students.