Professional Development for Language Instructors

Information for Partners & Agents for Groups and Cohorts

English Language Pedagogy Certificate Program

This four-week English Pedagogy program, designed for both new and experienced English language instructors, offers professional development to enhance teaching and learning, in an immersion environment. Participants will engage in a dynamic learning experience that combines language, culture, learning, and community in a stunning campus environment at Trent University in Peterborough, Canada. 

Through a content-language integrated learning approach, this experiential program will help English teachers to expand their professional repertoire and portfolio. Qualified, professional faculty trains teachers to enhance their instruction through the full range of language skill areas.  

Location Matters

Trent ESL is located on Trent University’s beautiful Symon’s Campus along the banks of the Otonabee River in Peterborough, Ontario. The natural setting of Trent’s 1400 acres of trees, open fields, streams, and lush forest provides a unique learning and recreational environment. 

Peterborough, among one of the friendliest cities in Canada, is a wonderful place to live, learn, and gain memorable experiences. Living with homestay hosts carefully selected by our partner, Canada Homestay Network, participants can always feel safe, and with Toronto only 90 minutes away, enjoying the big city experience is easy. 

Make the Trent ESL English Language Pedagogy Certificate Program the highlight of your summer. 

Why Trent ESL Professional Development for Teachers?

“ Trent ESL’s Professional Development Program offers English Language Pedagogy Certification in response to the growing global demand for high-quality English language instructors who themselves use English as a subsequent language. The program immerses qualified instructors in an English environment where they examine teaching and learning methodologies and expand their repertoire of teaching skills and language together. ”

Cath D'Amico, MA
Director, Trent International
Trent University

English Language Pedagogy Program Modules

This professional development course, developed by Trent ESL faculty, uses a Content-Language Integrated Learning framework to create a Meta English teaching professional development experience. The content comes from themes related to ESL instruction, and the language instruction encompasses the four skills, plus grammar and vocabulary. The course is composed of these modules and topics:

• Understanding language learners
• Curriculum, course, and lesson design
• Philosophy of Language Education
• Language and Culture
• Receptive skills: Reading and Listening
• Productive skills: Writing and Speaking
• Evaluating English language learners
• English for Specific Purposes
• Educational technology in language teaching and learning

The program makes use of a range of media sources ranging from big-picture issues in Education to bespoke presentations by ESL practitioners on specific topics, and texts from academic journals and reputable ESL publications. Praxis is a major focus throughout as participants are encouraged to reflect on and develop their own ESL classroom practices. 

Admissions requirements:

Completion of a degree from an accredited institution

Minimum English proficiency:

• IELTS: 6.0 overall, with a 6.0 in writing
• TOEFL IBT: 80
• TOEFL PBT: 550
• CAEL 55 - 59
• DUOLINGO: 105
• Minimum 75% in Trent-ESL: Academic English 1

Start/ End Date (4 weeks, 15 hrs/wk of class plus experiential learning)