Specialist Certificate in TESOL with Cambridge Teaching Knowledge (Foundation) for Secondary/High School Teachers

Overview

Please download the application forms under the ‘Application Details’ section. Course fees will be updated as soon as they are available.

Rationale

This 120-hour Specialist Certificate in TESOL with Cambridge Teaching Knowledge (Foundation) is designed to support secondary/high school English teachers in their professional practice. The Specialist Certificate in TESOL with a Cambridge Certificate in Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) will benefit certified TESOL teachers as they will have access to a wide range of opportunities such as working in public or private secondary/high schools, private language schools or centres, and summer schools.

Aims

The course aims to provide you with a solid foundation in the theory and practice of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). It will prepare you for serving the needs of English language learners, as well as enhance your teaching career. By the end of the course, you will be expected to demonstrate the following learning outcomes:
  1. Understanding of English Language Learning and Teaching in the 21st century
  2. Awareness of, and the ability to use current language teaching approaches and frameworks
  3. Understanding of an effective language classroom in which learners are actively engaged and appropriately supported
  4. Awareness of the individuals and groups of language learners, and of the motivation of learners in various cultures and contexts
  5. Awareness of, and the ability to respond to, specific needs of language learners for the current and possible future contexts
  6. Knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation and their use of terminology in the classroom
  7. Knowledge of and skills in teaching listening, viewing, reading, speaking, writing and visually representing
  8. Ability to draw on and extend own repertoire of approaches and techniques for developing learners’ skills and learners’ language
  9. Ability to draw up lesson plans with clear and achievable aims and specific learning objectives
  10. Ability to manage a class of learners and provide a conducive learning environment and learning opportunities in relation to their learning objectives
  11. Ability to use and adapt published material, create own teaching material, and tap other print and non-print resources that can be used to support learning in and beyond the classroom
  12. Awareness of, and the ability to use a variety of methods of assessment including formative assessment

Duration

This 120-hour course comprises:

Phase 1: Four-week (96 hours) residential school at RELC in Singapore

a) 3-week (72 hours) Specialist Certificate in TESOL

  • 20 in-person seminars/workshop sessions
  • 4 asynchronous online study/consultation sessions

b) 1-week (24 hours) Cambridge TKC (Teaching Knowledge Course) Foundation

  • 8 in-person seminars & test practice sessions
  • TKT Module 1 Test & Closing

 

Phase 2: In-country Lesson Observation for Formative & Summative Assessments (3 to 4 days; 24 hrs per participant)

  • One lesson observation with feedback for formative assessment
  • One lesson supervision with feedback for summative assessment, to be conducted in-country, at the course participant’s secondary/high school

 

For private fee-paying course participants, special arrangements will be made for them to conduct lessons for their formative and summative assessments.

Delivery

The training strategies used in this course are highly interactive. They include lectures, task-based workshops, role-plays, discussions and micro-teaching sessions.

Structure

Module 1: Background to Language Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century

Module 2: Teaching Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation

Module 3: Teaching Listening, Reading, and Viewing

Module 4: Teaching Speaking, Writing, and Representing

Module 5: Preparation for Cambridge Teaching Knowledge Test (Module)

Module 6: In-country Lesson Observation & Supervision

Admission Requirements

For private fee-paying applicants:

The requirements for admission to the course are:

  1. A bachelor’s degree, preferably from an English-medium university
  2. Little or no ELT experience
  3. With a B2 (CEFR) level English language proficiency (Common European Framework of References) or its equivalent.


Note: Applicants without a B2 (CEFR) level English language proficiency may be required to take the RELC English Selection Test.

Application Details

Closing Date : 17 July 2025

To apply for this course, please submit the following documents to our email address at sa@relc.org.sg.

  • Application Form (completed and endorsed)
  • Officially certified copies of the applicant’s certificates of degrees/diplomas
  • Officially certified copies of the applicant’s transcripts. Where a transcript is in a language other than English, it should be accompanied by a certified translation into English. (In the absence of a transcript, a certified statement on the degrees/academic qualifications achieved with a listing of subjects studied and subject examination results is required.)
  • Two reference letters (The two reference letters can be from an academic staff who has supervised you or a current/previous employer.)
  • Officially certified copies of current/valid IELTS or official TOEFL results for applicants from non-English medium education systems
 

Note: Shortlisted candidates not residing in Singapore will be required to undergo a medical examination in their home countries as part of the application process. We will provide the necessary details to them in due course.

Please submit a soft copy of the above documents to RELC via email at sa@relc.org.sg

Fees

Year 2025 Course Fees

To be confirmed.

* Course fees exclude 9% GST, which will be added during payment.

Note:

  • All fees are subject to change without notice;
  • RELC does not accept any responsibility for accidents on journeys to and from Singapore or in Singapore, or for the loss of baggage and other personal belongings in transit or in Singapore;
  • RELC will also not be responsible for taking out air, travel and personal accident insurance for students; and
  • Students are expected to incur additional costs for miscellaneous learning materials.

Payment of Fees

  • The Registration Fee must be submitted together with the Application Form and supporting documents;
  • Fees are payable before the commencement of the course;
  • Cheques should be crossed and made payable to the SEAMEO Regional Language Centre; and
  • An administration fee of SGD 50.00 (inclusive of GST) will be imposed for cheques which are dishonoured.


Refund Policy

  • The registration fee is strictly non-refundable;
  • Cancellation of enrolment must be made in writing;
  • An Administration Fee of SGD 160.50 (inclusive of GST) will be payable if the notice of cancellation/withdrawal is made less than 5 calendar days from the date on which the payment is received;
  • Full course fees paid are non-refundable if the notice cancellation/withdrawal is made after 5 calendar days from the date on which the payment was received; and
  • Withdrawals after the course has commenced will not be eligible for refund.

Graduation Requirements

To complete the course successfully, the candidate must satisfy the below criteria. 

  • Satisfy class attendance requirements
  • Attain a satisfactory standard in required course work
  • Complete all assignments including planning and delivering lessons for observation, supervision and assessment by trainer
  • Take the TKT Module 1 test

Award

The course will lead to the award of a Specialist Certificate in TESOL by SEAMEO RELC and a Cambridge Certificate for TKC Foundation by Cambridge Assessment.