Professional development
Professional development is vital for all. TeachingEnglish supports your growth in English language teaching, whether you are a teacher, teacher educator, academic manager, researcher or materials writer.
Here you will find free, self-access, online training and resources designed to develop the skills and knowledge you need as an English language professional.
Our professional development resources are organised by audience (teachers or teacher educators), professional practices and professional development level. The professional practices and professional development levels align with the British Council’s Continuing Professional Development Frameworks for teachers and teacher educators. These two unique frameworks, and the professional practices within them, address the skills and knowledge English language professionals need in their day-to-day working lives and throughout their careers.
Engagement
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Planning lessons and courses
Knowing the subject
TeachingEnglish: How to teach pronunciation
Increase your understanding of phonology and your ability to support learners with effective pronunciation activities in the classroom. How to teach pronunciation is open now – enrol until 23 September 2026.
Engagement
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Knowing the subject
Planning lessons and courses
TeachingEnglish: How to teach listening
Improve your understanding of how people listen and learn to plan effective, engaging listening activities. Explore key listening skills, solve common teaching challenges and develop strategies to support both your learners and your own active listening. How to teach listening is open now – enrol until 23 September 2026.
Engagement
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Assessing learning
Using inclusive practices
TeachingEnglish: Assessing learning
Help all your learners benefit from and get actively involved in assessment in the language classroom. Assessing learning is open now – enrol until 23 September 2026.
Integration
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Understanding my learners
Understanding my professional identity
Understanding my context
TeachingEnglish: Classroom research
Discover how to reflect on and explore issues in your teaching context, plan and carry out a small-scale classroom research project and communicate your findings effectively. Classroom research will open on 1 October 2026 – enrol now.
Engagement
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Understanding my professional identity
Understanding my context
TeachingEnglish: Focus on professional development
Take control of your professional growth by exploring the wide range of development opportunities available to you as a teacher and discover how to maximise their impact through collaboration and reflective practice. Focus on professional development will open on 1 October 2026 – enrol now.
Integration
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Knowing the subject
Using 21C skills or core skills
TeachingEnglish: Building understanding through dialogue
Create positive relationships and effective communication in your classroom by exploring techniques to develop empathy, critical thinking and intercultural competence. Building understanding through dialogue will open on 1 October 2026 – enrol now.
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Using inclusive practices
Using multilingual practices
Understanding my context
TeachingEnglish: Including learners' languages
Use your learners’ existing languages to support their learning of English, and discover how valuing and celebrating home languages in the classroom enhances learning while promoting inclusion and equity. This new course will open on 2 October 2026 – enrol now.
Integration
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Using digital technologies
Understanding my professional identity
Using 21C skills or core skills
Digital competences for teaching English
Discover how to integrate digital tools to support language learning, collaboration, formative assessment and effective feedback. Improve your digital communication skills and teamwork in your professional context and learn about online continuing professional development. Digital competences for teaching English will open on 2 October 2026 – enrol now.
Engagement
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Planning lessons and courses
Using 21C skills or core skills
Climate action in language education
Learn to integrate environmental issues in English language teaching and develop the skills you need to take and sustain meaningful and impactful action to protect the environment in your local context. This updated course will open on 2 October 2026 – enrol now.
Understanding
9–12 hours
9–12 hours
Planning lessons and courses
Managing the lesson
TeachingEnglish: Classroom management for primary
Give your primary learners the best environment to learn English by improving your management of instructions, learning activities, resources and physical space. Classroom management for primary will open on 5 October 2026 – enrol now.