NEWS

Professional development is an integral part of a teacher’s career.

Supporting teachers with their development is a fundamental aspect of the work that the IELTS partners undertake. Whether you are a new teacher to IELTS or one with years of experience under your belt, there are plenty of opportunities for development with IELTS.

Providing a range of tried and tested ideas and techniques, the IELTS teaching tips postcards and accompanying videos provide numerous fun ideas to get language flowing in the classroom. These tips took inspiration from an IELTS workshop with preparation teachers who use these techniques in their own classrooms.

For more classroom inspiration, the IELTS blog for teachers provides both practical and theoretical teaching information that is relevant and transferable to the classroom.

Do you have a fun educational activity or learning resource you’ve developed for your IELTS prep students? For these teachers, IELTS offers the Morgan Terry IATEFL Scholarship. The winners receive an expenses-paid trip to the IATEFL conference, which aims to link, develop and support English language teaching professionals worldwide.

For those of you undertaking further study, the Caroline Clapham Masters Award may be for you. This award is for a Masters level dissertation or thesis in English which makes the most significant contribution to the field of language testing – not specifically IELTS​.

Finally, our free IELTS teacher training program, a NEAS Quality Endorsed Product, aims to further enhance teachers’ performance and effectiveness as IELTS Speaking and Writing teachers.

Find out about all these resources and more by watching the Using IELTS to advance your teaching career webinar on the NEAS website.

What is your vision for Quality Assurance in ELT and where do you see NEAS’ role in maintaining quality within the ELT sector?

Quality Assurance (QA) is indispensable for maintaining the standards of ELT Institutions and for supporting the ongoing development of the sector. A well-established ELT QA Framework sets the quality standards, supports management, and builds students’ and agents’ confidence with the school, the services and courses.

Being a major player since 1992, NEAS has set the foundation for ELT QA through ongoing intensive consultation with English language professionals in Australia and overseas. The NEAS QA Framework is designed to maintain the highest standards in meeting regulatory and legislative requirements while ensuring products and services are sound and are guided by best practices. I have personally relied on the NEAS QA Framework to prepare new courses, quality reviews and accreditation activities.

I see NEAS as a pillar in ELT Quality Assurance, through its commitment to quality and the ongoing provision of quality endorsement services, professional development, as well as providing an extensive range of support services to ELT accredited institutions and members in Australia and overseas.

What is your view on Professional Development in ELT?

Professional Development is extremely important for the ongoing development of the ELT community. Whether you are a manager, a teacher or a member of the student support team, participating in professional development can boost your skills and help build confidence.

I advise ELT members to actively pursue PD opportunities that help improve target skills and to keep up with new trends. If you are looking for ways to learn new skills or to take up a new role within the industry, be assured that participating in Professional Development can help you reach the next step in your career.

Can you tell us about NEAS professional Development activities for 2022?

NEAS has established a thorough PD timetable designed to target the needs of the sector, in addition to a set of free online courses, Specialisation Courses and Master Practitioner Courses available via NEAS Online. This is in addition to the NEAS Management Conference in May and the Workshop Series aimed at offshore delivery in Thailand and Vietnam. These are great Professional Development opportunities for Managers, teachers and services staff.

I also recommend applying to be listed a NEAS ELT Professional, a recognised expert in English Language Teaching. ELT professionals are acknowledged through their commitment to professional development and are listed on the NEAS website. This is a great way to keep track of your professional development activities and all of your CPD points.

What advice would you give to Academic Managers?

My advice for Academic Managers is to focus on building a culture of consistent improvement, to value feedback from teachers, staff and students, and to always monitor and review courses, processes and procedures.

Make sure your teachers are made aware of all the professional development opportunities, and always encourage staff to participate in professional development activities, this will boost their confidence and increase their engagement and productivity.

What advice would you give to Teachers?

I advise teachers to identify their own Professional Development needs and not to be shy to ask their Academic Manager for professional development. Make sure you check the NEAS website for PD and online courses.

Connect with your students and foster an interactive and comfortable learning environment whether face to face or online.

Ongoing feedback is crucial for student progress, so provide your students with ongoing formal and informal feedback, check for understanding and make things visual.

And finally, be adaptable and ready to accept new ways of delivery. The current pandemic has forced the sector to accept new ways of teaching and learning and there may be new demands in the future.

NEAS congratulates Assumption College English Program (ACEP) for becoming our first Quality Endorsed Member in 2022! What an outstanding start to the new year! An integral part of a large Primary and Secondary college situated 30 kilometres from the centre of Bangkok, Thailand, ACEP is one of 17 institutions within the Saint Gabriel Foundation. The college opened in 2012 in an expansive, modern, and purpose-built campus. ACEP takes a holistic approach to the educational, personal and spiritual development of students. Values in human dignity, commitment to religious life and academic excellence are reinforced throughout programs via the Centre’s motto “Labor Omnia Vincit” (perseverance and hard work bring success). Over the past months, a NEAS Quality Assessor completed an in-depth assessment of ACEP’s application and supporting documents, and followed up with a Virtual Quality Endorsement exercise. Alongside structured meetings and interviews with ACEP management, teachers and operational staff, class observations also formed part of the quality audit.

The college delivers integrated English and Thai curricula under the direction of the Thai Ministry of Education. There are also foundation programs (The Wise Project) for senior students to help with the transition from high school to Thai university in the four areas of Health Science, Communication and Digital Arts, Business Administration, Engineering and Digital Technology. Currently, there are 50 Thai and foreign teachers on staff. Extracurricular activities in music, Thai dance, art and fitness are also available and students are encouraged to participate. ACEP is, at present, offering both face-to-face and online learning, in response to COVID-19 developments. There are currently 140 students enrolled under the tutelage of seven English teachers in the Year 9 and Year 11 Foundation English Programs. Parents are kept informed via the “Checker” application, through which student absences and behavioural matters are managed. Demonstrating best practice in organisational strategy, Head Teachers carefully conduct SWOT analyses to inform planning and budgeting at higher committee and board levels. ACEP facilities are known as the best in the province.

NEAS congratulates American Learning Lab (ALAB) for becoming the latest Quality Endorsed Member. With a dedicated focus on teaching young learners in Vietnam, ALAB has partnered with global education company, Visang, to deliver English language programs to students aged three to six (Kindergarten English) and to students aged six to 11 (Elementary English).

With multiple Centres in different districts of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), NEAS Quality Endorsement has been awarded to four ALAB Centres in the following HCMC locations:

• 3rd Floor, Crescent Mall, 101 Ton Dat Tien Street, District 7;
• Ground Floor, Cong Hoa Garden, 20 Cong Hoa Street, Tan Binh District;
• 176 Hoa Binh Street, Tan Phu District; and
• 3rd Floor, Vincom Plaza, 12 Phan Van Tri Street, Go Vap District.

Over the past months, NEAS’s Quality Assessor completed an in-depth assessment of ALAB’s application and supporting documents, and followed up with a Virtual Quality Endorsement exercise. Alongside structured meetings and interviews with ALAB management, teachers and operational staff, class observations also formed part of the quality audit.

Since May 2021, teaching has been delivered online only and this is likely to continue until February 2022. The programs contain interactive activities, which are purposely designed for young learners, and delivered exclusively by ALAB within Vietnam.

ALAB has appointed a Teacher Quality Manager (a role that does not have a teaching load) to oversee teaching. NEAS commends ALAB for deploying effective systems (including a Parent App) to engage and inform its valued customers and stakeholders. ALAB Education Consultants provide updated information regarding student performance to ensure parents enjoy complete knowledge of their children’s progress.