In this section you can find useful professional development resources – including articles, webinars, podcast episodes, research and teaching tips and tools – all to help you develop your skills and knowledge about different aspects of English language teaching.

What does Knowing the subject involve?

There are three elements to this professional practice: subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge – relating to teaching English as a subject and teaching through the medium of English – and the knowledge base for each professional practice, for example a knowledge of assessment principles or of digital technologies.

Subject expertise

Subject expertise involves:

• developing my own awareness of the language system and its different components, such as grammar, phonology, lexis, register and genre

• developing my own awareness of language as a social practice, for example for communicative, aesthetic, educational and personal purpose

• demonstrating my ability to analyse language to an appropriate level for teaching purposes

• developing and demonstrating the necessary target language skills in order to provide the best model I can for my learners

• acknowledging and exposing my learners to different varieties of English

• developing an understanding of different literacies (e.g. digital literacies, information literacies, critical literacies, plurilingual literacies, subject-specific literacies; see also Using 21C skills)

Knowledge of pedagogy

Knowledge of pedagogy involves:

• developing my understanding of theories of:  

  • teaching and learning  
  • language learning and assessment 
  • bi- and multilingualism

  and applying them to my context and learners 

• developing my awareness of different methodological approaches to teaching, learning and assessment (including critical pedagogies, digital pedagogies, (see also Using digital technologies) and multilingual and translanguaging pedagogies, see also Using multilingual approaches))

• developing my awareness of different methodological approaches suitable for the teaching of subjects through the medium of English or for teaching English as a subject

• demonstrating my ability to select appropriate methodological approaches and techniques to achieve my lesson and course learning objectives (e.g. in relation to language systems, social practices or subject knowledge). 

Knowledge of other professional practices

Knowledge of other professional practices involves:

• extending my knowledge of what underpins all of the professional practices in order to strengthen the effectiveness of my teaching

• reflecting on any areas of development in relation to my subject knowledge and its application.