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.

Group of young learners working together at a table in classroom

Lizzie Pinard - Fostering learner autonomy

Watch a recording of Lizzie Pinard’s talk from March 2016 talking about how we can foster learner autonomy by helping our students negotiate real and virtual environments outside of the classroom to develop their English.

An elderly black man relaxing on a sofa and smiling

How to maximise the language learning of senior learners

There are many benefits of studying for older learners, such as increased self-confidence, increased feelings of health and well-being, reduced feelings of isolation, and increased engagement in the community.

A pen and notepad placed on top of a laptop

Briony Beaven - Teacher stories

Telling stories of professional experience can be a powerful form of development for teachers and teacher educators, benefiting not only individual teachers but their educational institutions.

large group of African primary children raising their hands in class

Programme 1: Working with a big class

Classroom management can be challenging with large classes. This radio programme explores how you can turn the challenges into opportunities.

group of African primary children playing a game with their teacher

Programme 2: Games in the classroom

In this programme we hear some examples of games, including a kind of bingo game for vocabulary revision, a version of ‘Who am I?' with only ‘yes/no’ answers, a spelling game called ‘last letter/first letter’, a team game with a paper ball for young children, and ‘Alibi’ where the whole class are the detectives!

teacher demonstrating activity to group of Asian school children

Programme 3: A visit to a vocabulary class

In this programme we visit a vocabulary lesson in Indonesia, where Eka uses a variety of activities to keep her young students fully involved. Sometimes they work as a whole class, sometimes in small groups and sometimes in pairs.

A diverse group of young learners colouring at a table. One is in a wheelchair.

Writing and young learners

In this article, Wendy Arnold and Rosie Anderson explore ideas around developing writing skills with young learners.

A teacher presenting a lesson to learners sitting on the floor in front of her

Reading and young learners

In this article, Wendy Arnold and Fiona Malcolm explore why we need to develop reading skills with young learners and offer tips and advice on how we can do it.

How to get students writing in class... and loving it.

Watch a recording of Rachael Roberts’ webinar from January 2016 where she looked at a number of motivating writing activities that you can use with your students.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework for teacher educators

The British Council’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Framework is a guide for all those involved in education of teachers.

Teaching resources