Trinity Certificate inTESOLInformation Pack

About Oxford TEFL

One of the most highly regarded teacher training institutions in Europe.

Oxford TEFL is among the most highly-regarded teacher training institutions in Europe. Last year more than 400 teachers earned their TESOL certificate in our centres in Barcelona, Prague, Cadiz, Malaga, Kerala (India), and London and around 20 completed their Trinity Diploma in TESOL, which we offer in Barcelona and Prague.

From the Barcelona and Prague centres we also provide language and skills training to the local and international business community, as well as offering a range of general English classes in the schools themselves.

Oxford TEFL was founded in 1998 by Duncan Foord and Nick Rawlinson. They had both been teaching and training in Barcelona for a number of years, and setting up the company was the natural step to take.

The company´s philosophy has been the same since the first day: to provide high

quality training in a friendly and professional environment. In fact we believe you can’t have one without the other.

We feel confident enough to say that we continually achieve this goal; our trainees consistently mention the dedication and experience of our team, both pedagogic and administrative; they praise the support they receive and the open, relaxed nature of life in Oxford TEFL.

We are proud of our achievements in such a competitive field; through the years we have grown enormously and we plan to continue this growth in all areas of the company´s activities. This growth has only been possible because we have always followed our very simple philosophy.

We hope you will soon be able to experience and understand the Oxford TEFL way of doing things.

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TEFLCertificate

CourseDescription

Our Trinity-accredited TEFL Certificate course is for people who want an internationally

reognised qualification and an up-to-date and practical course of teacher training

Before the Course StartsWhen you enrol for the Trinity-accredited TEFL Certificate course (following a successful face-to-face, skype or telephone interview), we will send you our substantial pre-course task designed to raise your awareness of teaching methodology and the grammar and phonology of English.

Depending on your prior knowledge, this can take anything up to 20 hours to complete.

The task is completed through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or Moodle, so you will need internet access in order to complete it.

Your work will be checked by your Course Director as you work through each task, but you will not be graded.

Teaching Practice The practical nature of the TEFL Certificate course is emphasised from the very beginning. Trainees are divided into teaching practice groups on the first day, and begin

their teaching practice on the third.

Each group is assigned a practice class of real students and a teaching practice tutor. Teaching practice includes a feedback session where the teaching practice tutor discusses the lesson with you and gives you guidance on the teaching point for the following day.

During the TEFL Certificate course the practice class is changed to provide you with an opportunity to teach classes at different levels.

TEFL Input SessionsWe believe in learning through involvement, and trainees are expected to participate in many different ways during the TEFL Certificate course input sessions.

Where necessary, information will be supplied, but more commonly you will experience a workshop approach, where your tutor acts as a “facilitator/animator” rather than as a lecturer.

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Teaching SkillsThe letter “T” in TEFL stands for “Teaching”, and during these sessions you will acquire and practise a wide range of teaching skills found in mainstream current English Language Teaching. A large number of activities and areas are covered in detail and these are all of immediate practical value for planning your teaching practice lessons. Video is used in some sessions on the TEFL Certificate course and observation of Oxford TEFL teaching staff and students provides further insights into lesson planning, staging and management.

Language AwarenessThese sessions cover areas of vocabulary, grammar and phonology and are designed to provide trainees with a basic working knowledge of these subjects and how to teach them effectively. Trainees find these sections one of the most rewarding (and challenging!) parts of their Trinity-accredited TEFL Certificate course, as most native speakers of English have had very little previous opportunity of studying the nuts and bolts of their own language.

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Learning an Unknown LanguageDuring the TEFL Certificate course, you will participate in four language lessons in a language you have no prior experience of, taught completely in the language itself without recourse to English. This helps you put yourself in the position of a basic level learner of English and to experience communicative language teaching at first hand. Languages taught on past courses have included Greek, Hindi, Swedish, and Japanese.

TimetableA typical full-time TEFL Certificate course timetable follows, although there may be some variation.

Teaching practice (TP) 09.00 – 10.30

Feedback on TP 10.30 – 11.30

Input session 1 12.30 – 13.30

Input session 2 13.45 – 14.45

Input session 3 15.00 – 16.00

After 16.00 you may be starting preparation for the following day’s lesson or working on an assignment. You will work hard during the course and some of your days will be long. However, you will enjoy plenty of support from your tutors, staff at Oxford TEFL and fellow trainees. Much of the success of the TEFL Certificate course is due to the high level of rapport, co-operation and friendship established on the course.

AssessmentAssessment on teaching practice is continuous and is based on both your classroom teaching and your ability to reflect effectively on your own and others’ teaching.

During the TEFL Certificate course 3 assignments are given. These include a record of your experience learning the unknown language, a case study of one of your students with a diagnosis of their language difficulties, and a project where you create and evaluate original material used with your learners. You will also sit a 60 minute written exam towards the end of the course, which will test your knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and phonology.

CertificatesYou will receive 2 certificates. Trinity College awards a certificate to all successful candidates on completion of the accredited TEFL Certificate course. Oxford TEFL in addition awards a certificate with details of your grades.

Entry RequirementsPlease note that it is not necessary to be a native speaker of English, be able to speak a foreign language, or have any previous teaching experience.

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To be accepted on a course you will need to be at least 18 years old and to demonstrate the following:

• The ability to cope with the academic demands of the course. This could mean having a university degree (in progress or finished), or academic qualifications which would allow access to a degree course. In the case of candidates without the above, skills acquired through work experience may be taken into account.• The ability to communicate fluently and accurately in spoken and written English.• Interest in teaching and learning.• Appropriate personal qualities for teaching.• Sufficiently good health to deal with the demands of an intensive course of training, travel and working abroad.

Please bring a copy of your most significant academic qualification, to be handed in on the first day of the course. It is a Trinity requirement that we keep these on file.

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Extension CoursesMany of our trainees choose to

improve their skills and enhance their employability by taking a short

specialised course in conjunction with the Trinity Certificate in TESOL course.

Aim of these coursesBusiness English and Young Learners are two massive sectors in English Language Teaching worldwide. They can require different approaches and skills to teaching “general English”.

The aim of these courses is to give you an introduction to teaching Business English and Young Learners and show you some great techniques and practical activities you can take straight into the classroom.

Many of our trainees enhance their teaching and further improve their job prospects by doing a one-day extension course immediately after their TEFL Certificate (Trinity Cert TESOL) course.

Course content“The Business English course… was well planned, flexible and full of practical examples and exercises.”--Petra Malkova, Prague, June 2012

A typical Business English course timetable looks like this (although there may be some variations depending on the needs of the participants).

Session 1 Needs analysis and course planning

Session 2 Materials Printed and online resources

Session 3 Meetings, presentation and negotiation tasks

Session 4 Group work – planning for peer teaching

Session 5 Peer teaching and feedback

Session 6 Assessment in Business English overview of exams and methods of evaluation.

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A typical Young Learners course timetable looks like this (although there may be some variations depending on the needs of the participants).

Session 1 Pre-school

Session 2 Juniors

Session 3 Teenagers

Session 4 Teaching practice

The courses have Moodle back up or all

materials will be emailed to participants.

The trainers Our team of trainers have specialist experience in teaching Business English, Young Learners and teacher training. They have all worked with Oxford TEFL for at least five years and, as well as being tutors on this course, participate on the TEFL Certificate and TEFL Diploma courses we run at the school.

Assessment and certificationTo pass the course and receive the certificate

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you will have to:

• Complete 100% of the course tasks to a satisfactory standard.

The Oxford TEFL Business English and Young Learner Certificates will state that you have passed the course, outline the components of the course in detail and state the length of the course.

Application procedureSimply tick the appropriate box on your TEFL Certificate application form.

Combine TEFL with SpanishTrainees at our Barcelona and Cadiz centers can combine their TEFL Certficate with Spanish classes.

Simply indicate on your TEFL Certificate course application that you wish to combine your TEFL course with Spanish classes.

Barcelona Spanish 90 is an affordable Spanish course that gives you the opportunity to practice your Spanish every day, with students from all over the world.

TEFL CertificateFAQs

General TESOL Questions TESOL? TEFL? TESL? TEAL? ELT? TESL? What do they all mean?

Basically they all mean the same. They are terms used to describe the teaching of the English Language to students who are not native speakers of English. The main difference is the country where the teaching takes place. TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Second or Other Languages) and TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) are standard terms for English language teaching in non-English speaking countries.

TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) and TEAL (Teaching English as an Additional Language) are normally related to English teaching among immigrant and refugee communities in English-speaking countries.

TEFL and TESL are more frequently used in Europe as acronyms, while TESOL and TEAL are more commonly used in North America.

With so many English teacher training courses advertised, how do I know which to apply for?The range of TEFL courses on offer can be

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How many hours does the course consist of? Many potential employers will want to know how many hours your course work was and how many hours of observed teaching practice you had. Recognised courses are normally between 120 and 150 hours with a minimum of 6 hours observed teaching practice.

Can I get a job without a TESOL certificate?Yes, it is possible some countries, like China for example, where demand for teachers is very high, to get teaching jobs without TESOL certification, though this is becoming less common as employers increasingly require a recognized TESOL certificate.

The Trinity Cert. TESOLWhy choose the Trinity Cert. TESOL?The Trinity Cert. TESOL is one of the most widely recognized and highly regarded initial TESOL qualifications. Any potential employer, if they have any knowledge at all of English as a foreign language, will know the Trinity Cert. TESOL.

In addition, the courses are validated, and syllabus and assessment criteria are fixed, by Trinity College London. This assures quality control in a number of areas. All centres are subject to approval by Trinity College, and have to maintain standards in order to retain this approval.

If a centre is failing to meet the required standards, approval to run courses will be withdrawn by Trinity College. Every Trinity Cert. TESOL course is moderated by an external assessor.

Each Trinity Cert. TESOL trainer has to be approved by Trinity College London (which includes meeting their requirements regarding teaching experience and qualifications) and has to undergo a lengthy induction process.

All the above contribute to the excellent reputation that the Trinity Cert. TESOL enjoys.

How many people take the course worldwide every year?Currently over 7000 candidates worldwide

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bewildering. Bear in mind that the Trinity Cert TESOL and the Cambridge CELTA are recognised by the British Council and by schools worldwide as initial qualifications. Organisations offering similar courses to these but without external assessment and validation may vary in quality and the qualification they offer will be less widely recognised.

Online courses or short “taster” courses can provide a helpful introduction to TEFL, but they cannot compare to a course with hands on assessed teaching experience with real students and will not result in a recognised certificate, which employers expect.

Before deciding on a course, the questions to ask yourself are:

How is the quality of the course assessed and validated? Many courses are validated by the very people who run the course. This does not lead to objective quality control and the maintenance of high standards. Consequently, most employers will have less confidence in these courses.

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gain the Certificate each year.

Is the Trinity Cert. TESOL a recognized qualification?Yes, it is officially recognised by the British Council as an initial qualification for English language teaching internationally.

What is the average pass rate?Our pass rate is currently 96%. Of these around 10% achieve an A grade with B and C grades equally distributed. There is a high

pass rate because applicants are screened and their progress is monitored closely during the course.

As a result of our careful selection procedures, only around 4% of trainees fail the course.

Can I do the course online?No. The Trinity Cert. TESOL is a practical teaching course, and the experience you acquire on the course teaching non-English speaking students (with its emphasis on continuous assessment of classroom practice), together with the interaction with trainers and with your fellow students, are essential elements and so not suitable for distance learning.

The ApplicantWhat kind of people take the course?Although most course participants are native speakers of English, there are sometimes non-native speakers who are fluent in English. A typical course will have severalpeople in their early twenties, some who arerecent graduates and want to travel overseasin order to get work experience. There will also be around 20-30% in their 30s – 60s or who are non-native English speakers

Most trainees have come especially to do the course in their chosen location, while a few are already based there. In addition, although the Cert.TESOL is an initial training course, i.e. for those who have no previous experience of teaching English, there may be trainees on the course who have taught English before and who wish to gain an ELT qualification. However, seminar input and guidance for teaching practice will assume no prior teaching experience.

The Czech Republic is also becoming an increasingly popular place in which to do courses with North Americans, Antipodeans and other native speakers who are not citizens of the European Union. This is due to the availability and relative ease of work and the closeness of the Czech Republic to western Europe for visits.

Do I need a university degree to take the course?No, you don’t have to be a graduate but it is preferred. Whilst the course is essentially practical, it is, however, recommended that applicants should have formal qualifications which would allow entry into higher education in order to cope with the academic side of the course.

In some cases, work experience may be accepted in place of qualifications. Your application will ultimately be judged on whether we think you are capable and motivated enough to meet the demands of the course.

Does the course cater for people with a lack of grammatical knowledge?Yes, there are books we recommend you read before the course starts, also there is a pre-course task to complete once you have been accepted onto the course. During the course we have language analysis input sessions to help you.

Is age a factor?There is no upper age limit, but all applicants have to be at least 18 years old. While the majority of trainees who take the course are in their 20’s and 30’s, individuals of all ages teach English.

Some employers may have a preference for younger teachers, whilst others tend to prefer more ‘mature’ teachers who can bring the benefit of business or professional experience to their lessons.

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Can I do the course if English is not my first language?Yes, you need not have English as your first language provided that your awareness and competence in written and spoken English enables you to follow the course without hindrance.

Your ability to speak and write English accurately and effectively enough to be a teacher of English will be assessed in your application form and interview.

Please note that many employers only employ, or have a strong preference for, native speakers.

Do I need to be able to speak a foreign language?No. The TESOL programme uses the universally accepted Communicative Approach in teacher training, where English is the only language used in the classroom for all levels of foreign language students taught.

Do I need to have taught before in order to do the course?No. The TESOL course is designed as a pre-

service course for people with no previous teaching experience.

What books can I read about teaching ELT?When you are accepted onto the TESOL course you are given a recommended reading list with your acceptance letter. You will be required to read one book.

Applying/Admin

If the Trinity Cert. TESOL is designed for those with no previous experience, why are there interviews?One important reason is for us to assess applicants’ language awareness and potential.

Language awareness includes, among other things, the ability to identify and describe: meaning and differences in meaning; levels of formality; and the basic structure of a sentence.

The questions do not require previous teaching experience or advanced study of the English language, and we do not assume knowledge of linguistic terminology

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– although we would expect candidates to be familiar with basic terms such as ‘noun’, ‘adjective’ and ‘verb’.

An additional reason is for you to get the opportunity to talk to a teacher trainer and ask any questions not already raised, and to allow you to consider more carefully whether the Trinity Cert. TESOL is the right course for you.

Perhaps the main aim is to make sure that

we don’t offer a place to – and accept money from – someone who we feel does not have a good chance of passing the course.

Do I have to have an interview in person to get on the course?No. Interviews are by skype or telephone, unless, of course, you are in or near one of our centres, in which case a face to face interview will be arranged. Interviews typically last 20-25 minutes and the applicant makes the call.

What about visas/insurance?Visas for Prague For EU citizens, visas of at least 1 month are automatically granted upon arrival. If you are a citizen of a country that is not a member of the EU, please check with the Czech Embassy or Consulate to see if you need a visa.

Visas for BarcelonaEU citizens are not required to have a visa. Non-EU citizens can stay up to 3 months as tourists.

In both Prague and Barcelona we can provide advice and information for those wishing to secure work and residence permits after course completion. EU citizens seeking work

in Spain will not require a working visa.Health insuranceWe recommend that you arrange your own health and travel insurance. British subjects benefit from a reciprocal arrangement between the Czech and British health service systems for free treatment of basic emergency needs. In Spain likewise. Full details of the above are sent to you after enrollment in an “Information for Course Participants” booklet.

What do I need to bring to do the course?For your teaching practice you will sometimes need to create materials, so you will need to buy office supplies such as card, scissors and glue. These are easily and cheaply available.

It is useful to bring with you some “authentic material” from your place of origin to be used with learners. For example, tourist brochures, newspapers, magazines, video with TV programmes/adverts, city maps, family photos.

Don’t weigh yourself down with excess baggage, but a few things like this can be useful and interesting to use in the classroom.

You will not need to bring any textbooks with you, as the course library contains all

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you need for essay assignments and lesson plans. To help you during the course you will also have access to computers and the internet for study purposes.

For course participants in Prague, if you are thinking of staying in the Czech Republic after the course, bring your full original birth certificate as it is necessary for your residence permit.

Can you provide accommodation for candidates during the course?Yes, accommodation can be arranged in advance for candidates. In Prague, the majority of accommodation is either in flats which the school rents on a long term basis, or, in the case of large courses, some trainees might be housed in pensions or hostels sharing with other course participants.

In Barcelona, you will have a room in a shared flat, either with other course participants or with an English teacher or Spanish person. In order to keep costs down, the accommodation will rarely be luxurious, but will be warm, clean and comfortable. Accommodation will be convenient for public transport and within 35 minutes travelling time from the centre.

Will you help in adapting to the new environment?On the first day of the course you will receive an info pack with maps and guidance on where to eat, drink, shop, etc.

Are the course fees refundable?Please refer to our Terms and Conditions ofEnrolment: http://www.oxfordtefl.com/apply/terms-conditions/#cert

The Course

What does the Pre-Course Task involve?Most native speakers of English, although they may use the language effectively, are not necessarily aware of the nuts and bolts of how it actually works.

The task is designed to give you some initial orientation. Its function is to raise your awareness of issues and terminology associated with the study of English grammar, vocabulary and phonology.

There are 10 modules:1. Phonology2. Grammar3. Vocabulary4. Learners5. Lesson Planning6. Teachers7. Classroom Management8. Teaching Skills9. ELT Methodologies10. Reflection on the Pre-Course Task

The task is completed through our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) or Moodle, so you will need internet access in order to complete it. Your work will be checked by your Course Director as you work through each task, but you will not be graded.

How much work does the course involve?The course is extremely intensive. Expect to be at the school for about

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8 hours a day and to spend a couple more, on average, working at home.

It is strongly advised that candidates have no other professional or personal commitments during the course as these could seriously compromise your result.

Who are the practice students?The students are generally Czech, Spanish or international adults. The students are fully aware that the lessons are taught by trainee teachers. Class sizes vary, with an average of 10-12 students. Class sizes should not normally exceed 16.

Who are the tutors?Your course director will be supported by a team of 3-5 tutors. They will be responsible for leading input sessions and observing and supporting you through teaching practice.

Tutors are all highly qualified and with experience in teaching and teacher training around the world. They combine professional expertise with a positive approach and enthusiasm, key qualities in helping their trainees to succeed.

Can you describe a typical day? How is the course organised?Typically, mornings are devoted to learning about teaching – how to manage groups, how to analyse language for teaching purposes, different approaches to pronunciation and so on.

The afternoon is devoted to putting it all into practice. Trainees are divided into small groups and these teaching practice groups work

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with their trainer to advance the learning of practice students.

Trainees teach 2 different groups for 2 weeks each, guided each day by the trainer who is supervising them. The trainers endeavour to create a real-life teaching situation by having trainees work with contemporary published materials, keep attendance records and so on.

After teaching there is group or individual feedback, the opportunity to comment on what has been more or less successful and why.

As well as learning from the experience of teaching and watching their peers, trainees also observe 8 live lessons taught by their trainers or other experienced teachers.

Sample timetableThe Teaching Input sessions take place in three sessions:

12.30-13.30

13.45-14.45

15.00-16.00

16.30 – 18.30 there is teaching practice and feedback every day.

Lesson Preparation takes place before the morning sessions start.

Below is a typical timetable for week 2 of the course.

Week Two

9.00-13.00 Input sessions

Monday

Teaching Listening

Assignment Guidance: Learner Profile and Materials Project.

Grammar 2

Tuesday

Creating your own Materials.

Phonology 2

Teaching Using Video

Wednesday

Phonology 3

Grammar 3

Teaching Speaking

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Thursday

Job Slot – Working in EFL

Error Analysis

Error Correction

Friday

Assignment workshop: Learner Profile and Materials Project

Review and Preparation for new level

Individual Counselling Tutorials

15.30-19.00 Teaching Practice and feedbackStart and end times, both of the day and of individual sessions, may vary from course to course. However, the total hours spent in seminars and TP remains the same.

There are no classes on Saturdays and Sundays.

What are the input sessions like?We believe in learning through involvement, and trainees are expected to participate in many different ways during the sessions. Where necessary, information will be supplied, but more commonly you will experience a workshop approach, where your tutor acts as a “facilitator/animator” rather than as a lecturer.

What written work is involved?During the course a number of assignments are given. These include a record of your experience learning the unknown language, a profile

of one of the teaching practice students, and a diagnosis of their language difficulties. Some homework is given, but your evenings will primarily be taken up with lesson planning. All these sessions and assignments are interwoven throughout the course and are geared to provide a balanced and integrated course.

How will I be assessed?Assessment on teaching practice is continuous and is based on both actual performance and our assessment of your future potential. Trinity College award a certificate to all successful candidates on completion of the course.

All grades are moderated externally by a moderator appointed by Trinity College. Oxford Tefl awards A, B, C pass grades and a D fail grade.

Much of the success of the Cert. TESOL is due to the high level of rapport, co-operation and friendship established between participants and tutors on the course.

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After The Course

Assuming I pass, what will I actually receive?Trainees can collect, phone or e-mail for their grades on the Monday after course finishes. Later you will receive two certificates. The first is your Oxford Tefl Certificate. This includes details of your performance and achievement. The second is from Trinity College London. They will be sent to you at the address you give us (or you can choose to collect them from the school).

What are the chances of finding a job after completing the course?Excellent. Successful graduates go on to obtain teaching posts in a wide range of countries immediately or soon after completing their qualification.

Our careers advisors will provide support during and after the course, whether you want to work in the same city or elsewhere in the world. They will advise you on how to find work, where and when, on living and working in different locations and on writing your CV/resume.

Our graduates typically find work in a variety of locations around the world, Eastern and Western Europe, South America and Asia being the most popular.

Does Oxford TEFL provide job placement assistance?Yes – prior to graduation we conduct job workshops on a group and individual basis to help with all aspects of job seeking, from CV/résumé construction and interview techniques to arranging job interviews and assistance with finding a teaching job.

We have excellent contacts with the many language schools and contact them regarding graduates who wish to find work in the city. Trainees are also welcome to consult us for advice after the course has finished.

What about a future in TEFL?TEFL, the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages, is a growth industry. There are an estimated one billion learners throughout the world. There are many opportunities for suitably qualified people to travel taking advantage of their ability to teach English.

After a few years experience, usually in more than one context, teachers may be interested in going further in their ELT development – undertaking a Diploma or Masters level ELT course can often enhance career possibilities.Apart from teaching, opportunities in ELT can be as diverse as its participants: writing materials, becoming involved in course design, teacher training and so on.

For an idea of current opportunities, try the Guardian every Tuesday and specialist ELT publications such as The EFL Gazette as well as the many websites which co-ordinate job offers, such as Dave’s ESL Café and TEFL.com.

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Thanks! We hope you have found this Cert TESOL Information Pack useful. Feel free to contact us at tesol@oxfordtefl.com, Skype tesoloxfordteflbcn or call 0034 93 174 0062 to find out more or to sign up to a course.

Thanks for considering Oxford TEFL

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