The courses and qualifications here are suitable for teachers who have been teaching English for a while in the state or private sector, have an initial qualification, have good subject knowledge and feel you have mastered the basic skills of English teaching.

You may be interested in developing your knowledge and ability in particular areas of English language teaching, such as teaching the language skills, teaching vocabulary, using a variety of new technologies, language and culture, general methodology, and methodologies for specific areas of English language teaching, such as business English.

Courses

What types of course are there?
There are many high-quality short training courses in the UK for developing skills in ELT. Some courses will prepare you for recognised qualifications. Other courses may focus on particular aspects of English language teaching, such as teaching the language skills, teaching vocabulary, using a variety of new technologies, language and culture.

Most courses normally last from one to four weeks and take place at schools and colleges, both in the private and public sector, across the UK. Some courses are offered part-time, as well as full-time. More and more courses now involve a blended mode or distance learning delivery. When choosing a course, it is important to decide if you want practical teaching opportunities. It is generally accepted that the best way to learn to teach is by practising it, with an experienced trainer to guide you. Distance learning courses do not normally offer practical teaching: but they do offer theoretical training and the chance to participate in communities with other teachers.

How do I choose a suitable course?
Think carefully about what your needs are. It may help you to use some of the teacher development tools in the teacher section of this website http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/transform/teachers/teacher-development.... Perhaps you want a course leading to an international qualification. Perhaps you want to focus on developing a particular part of your teaching. When you have decided on what type of course will suit your needs, search for courses on one of the websites suggested below in the How can I find a course? section.

It may be difficult to tell from the course title if it is right for your needs. Check in the course description that it is intended for teachers with your level of experience. You should also check that courses offer practice in teaching. You may also want to check that it is suitable for your language competence – this is often indicated using levels from the Common European Framework Reference for Languages. Assess yourself quickly with the can-do statements in this leaflet from the ALTE site.

How can I pay for a course?
For teachers in the EU, funding is available through the Comenius Programme, under the lifelong learning programme. Teachers outside the EU will need to find their own funding or seek sponsorship from their employer or other body.

How can I find a course?
Courses can be found:

• via the Education UK website From the drop down Your Study Options menu, choose 'Study English in the UK'. Then choose 'Courses for Teachers' under Types of Course.
• via English UK's website http://www.englishuk.com/ and its English in the UK guide.

The Accreditation UK Scheme (http://www.britishcouncil.org/accreditation) accredits UK English language learning providers and covers teacher development courses which include English language improvement as an aim.

Find out about Developing skills - qualifications here.