Institutional Program Standards

Following are the minimum requirements for the content of TESL training courses to be recognized by TESL Ontario. Approved programs must consist of at least 250 hours of instruction plus 50 hours of practicum for a total of 300 hours. All topics are to be dealt with in terms of theory and their pedagogical implications and practical applications.

I Theory (minimum of 70 hours of instruction)

A. Foundations (minimum of 25 hours)

1. History and nature of language ­ variation and change
2. Competence and performance
3. Major models of linguistic description
4. Formal language instruction versus unconscious language learning
5. First and Second Language Acquisition
6. Models of Second Language Acquisition
7. Learning strategies and styles
8. Factors affecting language learning
9. The adult learner
10. The sociolinguistic dimension of TESL and second language acquisition

B. Linguistic Systems (minimum of 25 hours)

1. The Sound System
   1. Segmentals and suparsegmentals (stress, rhythm, intonation)
   2. Phonetic transcription
2. The influence of the first language on the acquisition of English
3. Morphology
4. Pedagogical grammar

C. Sociocultural and sociopolitical issues (minimum 15 hours)

1. Cultural Pluralism in Canadian society
2. Institutional and individual barriers to participation in Canadian society
3. Culturally-determined life styles and learning styles and their effect on second language learning
4. Acculturation
5. Anti-racism

II. Methodology (minimum of 120 hours)

A. Foundations (minimum of 30 hours)

1. A survey of second language teaching methods, including new technologies in TESL
2. Lesson planning
3. ESL literacy
4. Classroom management
5. Materials development; textbook evaluation
6. Adult ESL in Canada:
   1. LINC curricular guidelines
   2. English for Academic Purposes
   3. TEFL / English for International Students
7. Canadian Language Benchmarks
8. Professional Resources and Organizations

B. Teaching the skills (minimum 60 hours)

The theory and practice of teaching:

1. Listening
2. Speaking
3. Reading
4. Writing
5. Pronunciation
6. Grammar

C. Assessment (minimum of 20 hours)

1. Principles of second language testing
2. Techniques and interpretation of second language assessment of student progress and proficiency, including portfolios
3. Consideration of standardized tests
4. Classroom test development

III Practicum (required: 50 hours)

1. 30 hours of observation in an Adult ESL classroom
2. 20 hours of supervised practice teaching in an Adult ESL classroom