TeachingEnglish: Inclusive classrooms

Welcome to 'TeachingEnglish: Inclusive classrooms'

How will the course help me?

Make your classes inclusive learning spaces by identifying barriers that can affect learning and practical strategies to overcome them.

What does the course include?

Inclusive classrooms is a self-study training course, which is divided into three hour modules. It also includes:

• A dedicated Facebook community of course participants with up-to-date insight, resources and innovative ideas for you to try out.
• Engaging discussions taking place in the Facebook community
• Live events with your course tutor and language teaching experts.
• A free workbook with extra learning content and resources.

What will I learn?

Module 1 - Introduction to inclusion

In this module, you'll learn about the nature of inclusion and exclusion, consider how you can make your school more inclusive and also think about the barriers to inclusion which exist generally in your own school and English classroom.

By the end of the module you’ll be able to:

-define inclusion and identify learners who may be at risk of exclusion
-define the characteristics of an inclusive teacher
-describe the attitudes, behaviours and commitment necessary for successful inclusion
-identify different models for inclusion
-describe the changes in school culture necessary for successful inclusion
-describe the impact of teacher behaviour and teacher expectations
-identify the four main types of barriers to inclusion and how they impact learners' learning and development
-suggest ways of overcoming some of these barriers.

Module 2 - Creating an inclusive classroom environment

In this module, you'll learn about the features of inclusive English classrooms, explore strategies that support inclusive teaching and learning and develop the ability to create an environment for differentiated learning. You’ll also identity and evaluate strategies to reduce barriers to developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

By the end of the module, you’ll be able to:

-describe the features of an inclusive English language classroom and identify the ways in which learners may be different
-define the roles and responsibilities of teachers and learners in making classrooms inclusive
-describe the importance of differentiation in the inclusive classroom and apply different strategies for differentiating according to level of English proficiency
-use different types of questions to differentiate learners' tasks, design inclusive projects and apply learner grouping for inclusive learning
-identify general procedures that will help to enhance skills practice activities
-describe some of the barriers neurodivergent learners face when working on each of the four language skills
-use techniques and approaches appropriate to help the development of speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

Module 3 - Making your school culture more inclusive

In this module, you'll learn about some of the wider issues around inclusion, both inside and outside your classroom. You’ll look at how to design inclusive assessment and how to develop materials based on principles of accessibility and inclusion. You’ll also see how to raise awareness of issues around inclusion in your classroom and with your peers.

By the end of the module, you'll be able to:

-design assessment to allow all learners to show what they know
-design materials to raise awareness of unconscious bias
-manage issues of exclusion and inclusive representation in the design of learning materials
-use role play techniques to develop learners’ empathy skills
-identify how the UN’s sustainable development goals support the development of inclusion in the language classroom
-identify the difference between equality and equity
-describe the benefits of living in an inclusive society
-plan and apply strategies for advocating for inclusion.

When is the course?

The free online modules will open on 5 December 2023. Enrolment ends on 25 December 2023 and the course closes on 2 January 2024.

How much does the course cost?

The course is free.

How can I get a certificate?

For participants who successfully complete all tasks and achieve a score of 60% or above in the online exercises, there will be a downloadable certificate of completion at the end of the course.

What level of English do I need?

Minimum CEFR B1

How do I sign up for the course?

Please follow the steps below carefully to access this free training course.

IMPORTANT: If you are already logged in to your free TeachingEnglish account, we recommend that you log out and log in again.

Step 1: Log in to your existing TeachingEnglish account or create a free TeachingEnglish account.

You MUST be logged into your free TeachingEnglish account to access the course. Click or tap to Create a free account or log in to your existing account. 

Step 2: Enrol on your course

Click or tap the button below to enrol on this free course.

How do I access the course after I have enrolled?

IMPORTANT: If you didn't log out of TeachingEnglish after your previous visit, do this first.

From your desktop or laptop computer

1. Log in to your free TeachingEnglish account.
2. If you have enrolled in the course, you will see 'MY PORTFOLIO' in the menu bar at the top of the page next to the Home button.
3. Move your mouse over MY PORTFOLIO to see the drop-down menu.
4. Click on ‘My courses’ to access your training.

From your mobile device

1. Log in to your free TeachingEnglish account.
2. Tap the three horizontal lines next to the home button to open the menu.
3. Below ‘Home’, you will see MY PORTFOLIO and ‘My courses’ below. Tap on MY PORTFOLIO if you don’t see ‘My courses’.
4. Tap on ‘My courses’ to access your training.

Having problems accessing the course?

Please see our troubleshooting guide below if you are having problems accessing the course.

Support and troubleshooting

If you have signed up for this course and have problems accessing your learning, please make sure you are logged in, then click or tap the link below:

https://open.teachingenglish.org.uk/Home/MyProgrammes

If you are still having problems accessing your course, please see the advice and videos below:

I can't register for the course

Please make sure you have created a free TeachingEnglish account or that you are logged in to your existing account. If registration is available, you will see instructions for 'How do I register for this course?' at the top of this page. If registration is not available, you will see the message 'This course is not available for registration'.

I can't access the course. I am logged in to my account, but when I click or tap 'My courses' from MY PORTFOLIO I just go to my profile page

Check that you are not logged into your TeachingEnglish account on a different device or browser. Log out of your account on all devices and browsers, and log in again. Click or tap 'My courses' from MY PORTFOLIO. You should be taken to your training course. If you still can't access your course, log out, clear the cache on your browser and log in again.

I can't get my certificate

Certificates are available to participants who complete 70% of the course material. To access your certificate, go to the course platform where you have done your training. Click or tap 'My awards'. If you have completed 70% of the course, your certificate should be available to download.

The name on my certificate is wrong

On the course platform where you access your training, please use the 'Help' button to request a new certificate. Names on certificates are taken from your personal details in your free TeachingEnglish account. To change your name, click or tap on your name to edit your profile. Update the details on your profile page and save the new details.

What can I do now?

While you're waiting for the online modules to open, if you're interested in learning more about inclusive classrooms, you can:

• Get teaching ideas from our Courses for teachers Facebook community.
• Access learning content related to our courses on Facebook (Facebook account required).
• Access teaching resources on the TeachingEnglish website.