Professional development for teachers
Here you’ll find a wide range of free, self-access training and resources designed to help you build the skills and knowledge you need as an English teacher.
All TeachingEnglish professional development resources are aligned with the British Council Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for teachers, to help you plan your learning and develop the areas most relevant to your professional growth.
You can explore resources in a way that suits your goals:
- by professional practices – to focus on specific areas of teaching where you want to deepen your skills and expertise
- by professional development levels – to find resources matched to your training and experience and see how they can help you progress within each area.
Each resource includes a timer icon to show how much time you’ll need, helping you plan your learning effectively.
Planning lessons and courses
A task-based approach
What is task-based learning (TBL), and why do many language teachers choose this approach over the more traditional presentation, practice, production (PPP) method? This article gives an overview of TBL and highlights its advantages for learners and teachers.
Managing the lesson
The teacher as a teaching aid
Although we now live in a high tech world and have access to a variety of teaching aids, there is one aid that is convenient, portable, uses no electricity, can be used effectively in light or dark and is available all the time.
Planning lessons and courses
Project work with teenagers
Project work is a popular feature within the English language teaching classroom. Discover some advantages of project work and different ways to plan project work with teenage classes.
Understanding my learners
The not-so-hidden resource: students
Discover how you can use your learners’ interests and experiences as a resource to practise a variety of skills and language points.
Managing the lesson
Managing resources
Using flashcards with young learners
Discover different activities for using flashcards in your English classes.
Managing the lesson
Teaching speaking skills: overcoming classroom problems
This article is written for teachers with large classes of students who have encountered some of the following or similar problems during speaking activities in their classroom.
Knowing the subject
Remembering vocabulary
This article presents ideas on how to help your students remember vocabulary.
Knowing the subject
Presenting vocabulary
This article looks at what needs to be taught when teaching vocabulary and ways to present and teach vocabulary.
Understanding my learners
Teen angst
This article looks at establishing and maintaining discipline in the teen classroom.
Knowing the subject
Young learners and the phonemic chart
Hopefully if we start educating learners from a young age they will be more comfortable with phonemic script and see the benefits of it when they are older and more self-aware learners.