INTO University Partnerships’ NILE and English UK Collaborate to Offer Novel TEFL Course

NILE, INTO University Partnerships’ division for teacher training, is joining hands with English UK to offer a novel TEFL course.

The initiative, dubbed AccessTEFL, seeks to carve pathways for those aspiring to English language teaching careers in the UK, through a blend of job-oriented training and comprehensive CPD.

AccessTEFL is crafted to assist individuals who have not yet achieved a TEFL qualification, awarding them TEFLi status and rendering them fit for teaching roles as defined by Accreditation UK.

The scheme will be run by English UK, with day-to-day support, oversight and moderation from teacher training specialists from NILE – Norwich Institute for Language Education, part of the INTO University Partnerships group.

As a towering figure in the field of professional development for English language teachers, having trained upwards of 70,000 educators from more than 90 countries since 1995, NILE is highly esteemed.

The drive for this initiative originated from the systematic review by Accreditation UK, which highlighted the effectiveness of an apprentice-based teaching model.

In response, English UK crafted an affordable, in-service qualification route aimed at enlarging the qualified ELT teaching force, making the profession more accessible, and fortifying the support for new teachers. Under the expert guidance of NILE’s educators, participants will master key competencies specific to the UK ELT scene, with their schools facilitating mentorship and professional development.

Thom Kiddle, Director of NILE, shared his enthusiasm for the project: “We are excited to be working on a new project with the team at English UK – developing and managing a situated and supported CPD scheme, AccessTEFL, for new teachers joining English UK schools.”

“The scheme, to be launched later this year, will ensure new entrants to the profession are supported with structured, focused development activities, observation and feedback while they learn their craft and help accredited English UK members recruit teachers in combination with the traditional TEFLi routes.”

The AccessTEFL programme requires 40 hours of classroom study and 80 hours of teaching experience, supplemented by mentorship and the chance to work with veteran teachers. The curriculum encompasses foundational topics such as The English Language, The English Language Learner, The English Language Classroom, and Reflective Practice.

Jodie Gray, Chief Executive of English UK, expressed her delight at the launch: “We are delighted to launch ATEFL after many months planning. Many ELT centres have been struggling to hire enough qualified teachers to meet increasing student demand, and that could impede the continuing growth of UK ELT.”

“We believe ATEFL is a great way for centres to grow and develop their own staff, supporting people who are keen to teach English in the UK but who do not have a conventional TEFLi qualification. This is an affordable and accessible way for centres to train high-quality staff as part of their staff CPD, and we hope that as many as possible will be able to take advantage of it.”