
Pines Academy has made an 18-year significant mark in the ESL industry. As it continues stability in the industry, it is finding more ways to stay on top of the game not just for its students but also for its aspiring English teachers. In line with this, the Human Resources Team will hold a training upgrade effective on October 28. It is inspired by the Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA). CELTA is a globally recognized teacher training qualification for those who want to teach ESL within and outside the country.

The upgrade stems from Pines Curriculum’s alignment to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) which demands professional, language proficient and well-trained teachers. Reuben Aslor, Pines VP for Human Resources and International Projects and a CELTA qualified English Language Teacher explained that it’s timely to hold a training that meets international standards. With rigorous training and orientation, seasoned ESL Practitioners who are IELTS score-holders and licensed teachers will officiate and facilitate the training sessions with the use of diverse and globally recognized approaches and materials inspired by Cambridge and other updated ESL resources.
With the new training system, qualified applicants will undergo an entrance examination that covers teaching methodology knowledge, grammar and speaking. In-process elimination is expected as the trainees will be weekly assessed. Over-all, there will be 8 teaching demos that will go hand in hand with feedback sessions coming from colleagues and expert trainers, 7 class observations that will expose trainees to varied teaching environments and 2 personal progress assessment and coaching sessions. The newly-formulated training will also focus and put emphasis on lesson planning, language researches, personalized development and progressive training phases. These are all necessary to deliver the emerging English learning demands of current and future ESL students.

Regular ESL Teaching Training in the Philippines ranges from 24-120 hours, but Pines’ CELTA inspired training will require 160-hour completion that lasts for 4 weeks. It is the first and only in-house training that offers such length to ensure teachers’ quality is not compromised. This will provide the aspiring teachers enough exposure and chances of professional improvement that will set them at par with other teachers who have been practicing in the industry. With the longer duration, it is expected that teachers will grasp firm English teaching foundation and gain practical teaching skills for foreign students. Successful applicants shall be issued certificates indicating achievement from the CELTA inspired training.
