Train To TEFL:Teacher Training & Language Learning

Train To TEFL:Teacher Training & Language Learning We are an official Trinity CertTESOL provider in the heart of Manchester.
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28/09/2026

How do you teach someone who’s a complete beginner? 🧐

This is a question we’re often asked by people coming onto the course. What do you actually do when your learners don’t speak any English at all and you son't speak their language?

One way we explore this on the Trinity CertTESOL is through the Unknown Language lessons. Trainees spend four hours learning a language they don’t know. On our course this is often teaches Maltese (though the language may change depending on our trainees’ language backgrounds).

As Sean explains in this clip, trainees experience the lessons as learners while also thinking like teachers. They notice things such as:

✓ How the teacher makes meaning clear without translating into English
✓ How they give instructions and check that learners know what to do
✓ Which resources they use, including images, and how they use them
✓ The order in which they introduce and practise new language
✓ How they check that learners have understood the new language

It’s by far the most popular assignment on the course. It’s fun, and trainees are actively involved in learning a new language. It puts them in their learners’ shoes, so they experience firsthand what helps them understand and what leaves them confused.

They notice which teaching techniques work for them as learners and can draw on those observations when planning their own lessons.

And, as Sean says, they learn a bit of Maltese too! 🇲🇹

27/09/2026

“I’ve never taught before. Will I have to stand up and teach a class straight away?”

It’s a really understandable worry. The answer is no!

On our Trinity CertTESOL course, you spend the first two weeks of teaching practice observing a qualified teacher, talking about what you’ve seen and getting to know the learners.

At the same time, you’re experiencing what it’s like to be a beginner learner through your Unknown Language assignment. You’re also learning about the different roles of a teacher, the differences between learners in a group and the techniques you can use in your own lessons.

So when it’s your turn to teach, you’ve already had plenty to watch, think about and discuss.

We don’t throw you in at the deep end. We give you armbands!

Find out more on the Train to TEFL website. www.traintotefl.com

This video shows how we introduce teaching practice on our Trinity CertTESOL course at Train to TEFL.

If you’re interested in teaching English, you can find out more about Trinity’s TESOL qualifications and explore courses with providers in the UK and internationally here: https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/teaching-english

20/09/2026

If you were learning Italian and saw the word “camera”, what would you think it meant?

A camera 📷 or a room 🛏️?

In Italian, “camera” means a room. It is an example of a false friend: a word that looks familiar but has a different meaning in another language.

This week on our Trinity CertTESOL course, we were looking at teaching vocabulary and how learners can use words they already know to help them work out the meaning of unfamiliar words.

That led us to cognates, loanwords and false friends.

Cognates can give learners a useful way into new vocabulary, while false friends can lead them towards the wrong meaning.

In a multilingual ESOL classroom, however, these connections will not be the same for every learner. They depend on the languages each person already knows.

This short extract from our training session looks at cognates and false friends and considers why learners’ language backgrounds matter.

I have also created a free fact sheet to accompany the video. Click below to download your free copy:

https://train-to-tefl-wscavj.subscribepage.io/

16/09/2026

A2, Entry 2 or Elementary?

If you’re new to English language teaching, the different terms used to describe learners and their levels can be confusing.

In UK adult ESOL and Skills for Life provision, you may hear terms such as Pre-entry, Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3. Other institutions may use CEFR levels such as A1, A2, B1 and B2, while coursebooks often use labels such as beginner, elementary and intermediate. Super confusing!

I’ve created a free practical guide showing how these terms broadly relate, what learners may be able to do at each level and why they may be stronger in some skills than others.

At the end of the guide, you’ll also find some excellent resources from Trinity College London including detailed level specifications and videos of learners taking ESOL exams. These are a really useful way to see and hear what learners at different levels can do.

Click here to download: https://lnkd.in/eFYmGGbT

You’ll can also find the link to download your free copy in the first comment below. (in case the link above doesn't work!)



16/09/2026

TEFL or Trinity CertTESOL: What’s the Difference?

Before doing his Trinity CertTESOL with us, Glenn completed an online TEFL course.

So, what was the difference?

As Glenn explains, his previous course was completely self-study. There were no live sessions, no observations and, importantly, no teaching practice.

The Trinity CertTESOL is very different. It’s a Level 5 professional teaching qualification where you learn about teaching, observe teaching and, importantly, actually teach real English language learners.

If you’re interested in learning how to teach English, send me a message here or visit www.traintotefl.com to find out more and request an application.

16/09/2026

What can you do after completing the Trinity CertTESOL?

Now that Aribah has completed her qualification, she’s already putting her new skills into practice.

She’s in the process of setting up classes for learners who are ‘in between’ ESOL levels and can often find it difficult to access suitable provision.

Through the CertTESOL, Aribah says she has developed the skills and confidence she needs to work with these learners and help prepare them for their next step.

Could the Trinity CertTESOL be your next step?

We still have a few places available on our September 2026 courses:

📅 Monday evenings: 14 September–14 December | 5.45–9.30 pm
📅 Friday mornings: 18 September–18 December | 9.30 am–1.30 pm

✅ Live online training – join us from anywhere in the UK or around the world
✅ Teaching practice available online or face-to-face in Salford/Manchester
✅ We’ll work with you to find a teaching practice option that fits around your other commitments
✅ Level 5 professional teaching qualification
✅ Internationally recognised
✅ Practical experience teaching real learners

📩 Interested in joining us this September? Send us a message this week and we can have an informal chat about the course.

11/09/2026

How much time do you need for the Trinity CertTESOL?

Aribah’s biggest piece of advice for anyone thinking about taking the course is simple: give yourself enough time.

The CertTESOL is a demanding professional qualification. Alongside the live sessions and teaching practice, you’ll be preparing detailed lesson plans and completing assignments – so keeping on top of your workload really matters.

As Aribah explains, there’s plenty of support if you need help getting back on track, but giving yourself the time to engage properly with the course can make the whole experience much less stressful.

Thinking about training to teach English?

We still have a few places available on our September 2026 courses:

📅 Monday evenings: 14 September–14 December | 5.45–9.30 pm
📅 Friday mornings: 18 September–18 December | 9.30 am–1.30 pm

✅ Live online training – join us from anywhere in the UK or around the world
✅ Teaching practice available online or face-to-face in Salford/Manchester
✅ We’ll work with you to find a teaching practice option that fits around your other commitments
✅ Level 5 professional teaching qualification
✅ Internationally recognised
✅ Practical experience teaching real learners

📩 Interested in joining us this September? Send us a message this week and we can have an informal chat about whether the course will work for you.

11/09/2026

What can you do with a qualification in teaching English?

For Becks, the answer is very much about working in her local community.

She’s based in Manchester, and one of her main reasons for taking the Trinity CertTESOL was to gain a professional teaching qualification that could help her find work supporting the high level of ESOL need across Greater Manchester.

That could mean working with a charity, a local council, in a school or with another organisation supporting people to develop their English.

And I think this is something that sometimes gets overlooked when people think about training to teach English.

It doesn’t have to mean getting on a plane and teaching overseas. There are opportunities much closer to home, working with people in our own communities who need English for everyday life, work, education and to become more involved in the communities around them.

If that sounds like the kind of work you’d like to do, we still have a few places remaining on our September Trinity CertTESOL courses:

📅 Monday evenings: 14 September–14 December | 5.45–9.30 pm
📅 Friday mornings: 18 September–18 December | 9.30 am–1.30 pm

✅ Live online training – join us from anywhere in the UK or around the world
✅ Teaching practice available online or face-to-face in Salford/Manchester
✅ We’ll work with you to find a teaching practice option that fits around your other commitments
✅ Level 5 professional teaching qualification
✅ Internationally recognised
✅ Practical experience teaching real learners

📩 Interested? Send us a message and we can have an informal chat about the course.

10/09/2026

Would Aribah recommend the Trinity CertTESOL? 🎓

Absolutely!

Having completed the course herself, Aribah says she would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to become a qualified ESOL tutor.

She also talks about the support and guidance she received from the Train-to-TEFL team throughout the course – and just how much she learnt along the way.

Thinking about training to teach English?

We still have a few places available on our September 2026 courses:

📅 Monday evenings: 14 September–14 December | 5.45–9.30 pm
📅 Friday mornings: 18 September–18 December | 9.30 am–1.30 pm

✅ Live online training – join us from anywhere in the UK or around the world
✅ Teaching practice available online or face-to-face in Salford/Manchester
✅ We’ll work with you to find a teaching practice option that fits around your other commitments
✅ Level 5 professional teaching qualification
✅ Internationally recognised
✅ Practical experience teaching real learners

Interested in joining us this September? Send us a message this week and we can have an informal chat about the course.

10/09/2026

How do you actually become more confident as an English teacher?

For Becks, it happened gradually by actually teaching.

During her Trinity CertTESOL, she began to realise that good teaching isn’t about standing at the front and talking. It’s about giving clear instructions, choosing the right materials, involving your learners and beginning to notice what is actually happening in the classroom.

And then you get those lovely moments when you can see that something has clicked for a learner.

But you’re not expected to work all of this out on your own.

One of the things that really sets the Trinity CertTESOL apart is its focus on supported, practical teacher training.

The qualification includes six hours of assessed teaching practice with real English language learners. But it’s what happens around those six hours that is so important.

✅ You observe experienced, qualified teachers and discuss what you notice
✅ You observe your peers and learn from their lessons
✅ You receive guidance and support as you prepare to teach
✅ You teach real English language learners
✅ You receive detailed feedback afterwards
✅ You reflect, make changes and put that feedback into practice in your next lesson

Every observation and every teaching session is designed to develop your awareness of what is happening in the classroom, as well as your practical teaching skills.

And, as Becks explains, your confidence grows along the way.

📩 Interested in training to teach English? Send us a message and we can have an informal chat about the course.

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