Qualifications
This page provides details of the minimum academic qualifications required to work as a teacher or Academic Director at Concorde International Summer Schools.
EFL Teachers
As a fully accredited member of the British Council, we only employ teachers with teaching qualifications that can meet the following criteria:
TEFL initial (certificate-level) qualifications
TEFL initiating qualifications are first-level qualifications for teachers who want to enter the profession. The British Council considers that TEFL initiating qualifications should
- be externally validated by a reputable examination body (usually a university or a recognised examinations board).
- contain at least six hours supervised teaching practice (i.e. practice where a qualified assessor observes the trainee teacher teaching real TEFL students and gives feedback to the trainee on his/her performance).
- Contain at least 100 hours of TEFL input.
Examples of Qualifications accepted for summer school teachers:
- Cambridge ESOL CELTA and Trinity College London Certificate in TESOL.
- PGCEs in English / modern languages with an ELT/TESOL subsidiary.
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
Academic Directors
Our Academic Directors all have a diploma-level qualification. They are responsible for maintaining the high academic standards in our centres.
TEFL qualifying (diploma-level) qualifications
TEFL qualifying qualifications are a higher level qualification, usually taken by teachers with relevant experience who want to follow a career in TEFL. The British Council considers that TEFL qualifying qualifications should
- be externally validated by a reputable examination body (usually a university or a recognised examinations board).
- require candidates to have prior EFL teaching experience.
- contain at least five hours supervised teaching practice (i.e. practice where a qualified assessor observes the trainee teacher teaching real TEFL students and gives feedback to the trainee on his/her performance).
- Contain at least 100 hours of TEFL input.
Examples of qualifications accepted for Academic Directors:
- Cambridge ESOL DELTA and Trinity College London Diploma in TESOL.
- PGCE in TEFL.
- University Diploma in ELT/TESOL (provided the meet the criteria above).
- Overseas qualifications (equivalent to a PGCE, Bed or MA in ELT/TESOL) which qualify teachers to teach ELT/TESOL in state educational institutions in their own country.
- MAs in ELT/TESOL or related subjects.
Other qualifications will be considered but they must meet the validation, entry requirements, teaching practice and input criteria listed above. Please see the individual job specifications for more information. If you are unsure whether your qualification meets the criteria, please contact recruitment @ concorde-int.com and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
When planning to take a course leading to a TEFL teaching qualification, you should ensure the course and the qualification meet the criteria set out above.
For more information read our Train to be a Teacher page.
