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Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL)

Why this Certificate

The goal of the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program is to enhance the professional knowledge and practical skills of in-service and pre-service classroom teachers in Armenia and the region. It is designed to meet the needs of those current and future teachers who may not have the time or aspiration to pursue a Master’s degree, but who do want to keep up with the latest developments in the field, and expand and improve their own teaching.

Career Paths

CTEFL is perfect for those interested in starting a career in teaching English and for teachers who want to continue improving their own teaching but do not have time to pursue the two-year Master’s degree in TEFL. Typically, CTEFL graduates secure English language teaching positions in language centers around the country. For teachers already working in the schooling system, CTEFL enhances their teaching skills and boosts confidence leading to more challenging and rewarding work opportunities and contributing to potential promotions on the job.

Those who complete CTEFL successfully and reside outside Yerevan including Artsakh are eligible to apply for a teaching position to start a new or support an existing branch of the AUA’s After-school English Program in their local communities.

‘As a student teacher, the CTEFL program enabled me to design a wide variety of activities encouraging student-centered and communicative learning, develop effective lesson plans, and employ numerous up-to-date assessment tools to measure my students’ progress. Today, my classroom is a positive teaching and learning environment that promotes my students’ engagement in the study process and bolsters their academic performance’.

Tatevik Barseghyan, CTEFL 2019 Alumna

Certificate Completion Requirements

To complete CTEFL, students must successfully complete the CTEFL courses/modules with a grade point average of 3.0 or above. CTEFL graduates who wish to pursue further study towards the MA TEFL program may transfer their CTEFL courses towards the MA TEFL Program.

Curriculum

CTEFL courses include three courses of a total of 9 credits:

Teaching Language Skills (3 credits)

This course introduces the underlying theories and classroom practices for teaching ESL/EFL reading, writing, listening and speaking. The course highlights the nature of literacy and oral language development, beginning language skills (phonemic awareness, phonics, pronunciation), and meaning-focused language instruction. This practical course focuses on developing students’ technical abilities to effectively design classroom activities that target language skills and integrate them into coherent lesson plans. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

Classroom Assessment (3 credits)

This course will lay the foundations for the students to learn about various principles and issues regarding research methods in second or foreign language teaching and classroom research. The course will look at the various viewpoint involved in research, the issues raised by quantitative and qualitative research, how the research program is to be structured and carried out, and how to report findings. Three hours of instructor-led discussion per week.

Teaching Practicum (3 credits)

The purpose of this course is to consolidate the theory and practice of teaching EFL and engage students in reflective practice. This course combines face-to-face classes on topics related to practical aspects of teaching EFL classes (e.g., lesson planning, classroom management) and fieldwork experience including EFL class observations and supervised teaching.

CTEFL Format

Students may select one of two formats in pursuing the CTEFL Program:

  • Year-round format: In this format, CTEFL students take their courses with Master’s in TEFL students during the fall and spring semesters. Classes are scheduled once or twice a week during morning and afternoon hours.
  • Summer intensive format: In this format, CTEFL courses are scheduled within 6-7 weeks during the months of June and July. Classes take place in the mornings and afternoons every day at the AUA campus.

Enrollment Requirements

To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:

  • Submit a complete Application for Enrollment in Certificate Programs at im.aua.am including all required supplements as outlined in the instructions.
  • Present valid and official results confirming English Language Proficiency typically through the TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic exams*. For AUA application purposes, these scores are valid only if your test date was less than two years before the application submission date. You must submit your official score reports directly from the appropriate testing service. To ensure we receive your official test scores, indicate AUA as a recipient using our institution codes:
    • TOEFL iBT – code 4151
    • IELTS Academic – 40 Baghramyan Ave, Yerevan

    Native and near native speakers are eligible for a waiver. To see if you qualify for the waiver, please review the English Language Proficiency Test waiver policy here. If eligible, complete and submit your waiver application at im.aua.am well before you submit your application for admission.

    * Applicants to the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program may fulfill the English Language Proficiency Requirement through a specially designed in-house English proficiency test, scheduled on the same day as the CTEFL enrollment interview. The in-house test includes a set of open-ended writing and speaking tasks, in addition to reading and listening components and will be conducted on-campus at AUA. More information is available here.

  • Hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited or licensed institution of higher education having obtained an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher on a 5-point scale. Students in their final year of studies are also eligible to apply.
  • Demonstrate interest and potential to become a successful TEFL professional.

*The Admissions Committee may, at its discretion, admit an applicant who does not meet the target requirements but who otherwise demonstrates the potential to successfully pursue a degree at AUA.

English and TOEFL iBT Preparation 

For English and TOEFL iBT classes, contact AUA Open Education http://openeducation.aua.am, which offers subsidized courses in the regions of Armenia and Artsakh.

AUA Open Education centers:
  • American University of Armenia, 40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. Yerevan;
  • “Knowledge for Development” Center, 63 Myasnikyan str. Dilijan;
  • Gyumri Technology Center, 1 Gai str.;
  • Vanadzor Technology Center, 12 Shinararner str.;
  • Cultural Center after Gusan Ashot, 5 Mashtots str. Goris;
  • School N3, “Giteliq” University, 5 Momiki str. Yeghegnadzor;
  • 6 Azatamartikneri str. Stepanakert

Tuition and Financial Aid 

  • Fees are calculated per credit unit, as per university policy.
  • AUA provides need-based financial support to CTEFL students. Assistance may range up to 90% of the total tuition costs, according to the financial situation evidenced in the submitted documents.  For more information, visit: https://finaid.aua.am. Apply for CTEFL and financial aid at im.aua.am.

Application Procedure

For information regarding application to CTEFL, visit the Admissions website.

ACADEMICS

1. What does the CTEFL Program do?

The goal of the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program is to enhance the professional knowledge and practical skills of in-service and pre-service classroom teachers in Armenia and the region. It is designed to meet the needs of those current and future teachers who may not have the time or aspiration to pursue a Master’s degree, but who do want to keep up with the latest developments in the field, and expand and improve their own teaching. For more information, applicants are encouraged to visit our webpage https://tefl.aua.am/ctefl/

2. How is the Intensive Summer CTEFL different from the year-round CTEFL?

Both CTEFL programs have the same courses: Teaching Language Skills, Classroom Assessment, and Teaching Practicum. But the summer CTEFL is offered intensively over 7 weeks instead of 30 weeks (Fall and Spring semesters).

3. When will the Intensive Summer CTEFL program start and how long will it last?

The dates of the summer CTEFL program depends from year to year. Please come back in 2021 to learn about the dates for summer CTEFL program in 2021. 

4. What is the program schedule like?

The classes are scheduled to start in the morning, and last till late afternoon, Mondays through Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays are days off  There will be a lot of homework assignment throughout the program

5. What is the language of instruction at AUA?

The language of instruction at AUA is English.

ADMISSIONS

6. Who can apply for the Intensive Summer CTEFL Program at AUA?

Anyone who meets both the certificate general and program specific admission requirements may apply for CTEFL at AUA. Depending on the AUA strategic plan, more seats may be given to applicants from priority regions. 

 

  • What are the Certificate Admissions requirements?

 

To be considered for acceptance, applicants must:

  • Submit a complete Application for Enrollment in Certificate Programs at im.aua.amincluding all required supplements as outlined in the instructions.
  • Present valid results confirming English Language Proficiency. This typically include TOEFL iBT (target score of 79*) or IELTS Academic (target score of 6.5*). For the applicants residing in the regions of Armenia and Artsakh, TOEFL iBT and IELTS are being replaced with an in-house English language test at AUA. Native and near native speakers are eligible for a waiver.
  • Hold an undergraduate degree from an accredited or licensed institution of higher education having obtained an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher on a 5-point scale. Students in their final year of studies are also eligible to apply.

Demonstrate interest and potential to become a successful TEFL professional.

*The Admissions Committee may, at its discretion, admit an applicant who does not meet the target requirements but who otherwise demonstrates the potential to successfully pursue a degree at AUA.

7. What’s the In-house English proficiency test like?

Applicants to the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program may fulfill the English Language Proficiency Requirement through a specially designed in-house English proficiency test. The in-house test will include a set of open-ended writing and speaking tasks, which combine reading and listening components. The test will be conducted in Yerevan on AUA campus.

8. How can I apply?

By the Regular Enrollment Deadline April 1, you should submit the complete:

  1. An application form for CTEFL. The Application for Enrollment in Certificate Programs is currently available at im.aua.am. To start your application, first create and confirm your profile. Then, please follow the steps to complete and submit your applications. For any information regarding the application form, please contact the Office of Admissions (060) 612748.

Please make sure to specify in your Statement of Purpose whether you are interested in the Intensive Summer format taking place in June/July 2020 or the year long program with classes scheduled to begin in Fall 2020. Visit https://tefl.aua.am/ctefl/ for more information. 

Applicants who would like to take the Summer CTEFL In-House test, please indicate it in your application form:

  • Test Subject – English Proficiency Test 
  • Test Name – Summer CTEFL In-House 
  • Test Date – April 15(This is not the exact test date. We will contact you for more information regarding the date and the time for your test and the admission interview).

 

  1. A Financial Aid Form. The tuition assistance application form can be found here and the list of the required documents (checklist) can be found here. Applicants need to fill in the corresponding application form and submit the hard copy of the TA application form together with the required documents to the Office of Financial Aid by April 6.   
9. Is there an English language proficiency requirement?

Yes.

a. Applicants can submit official exam results confirming English Language Proficiency either through TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic exams.

b. Applicants to the Certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (CTEFL) program may fulfill the English Language Proficiency Requirement through a specially designed in-house English proficiency test.

c. Some applicants may be eligible to receive a waiver of the English Language Proficiency Requirement. For more information, please read the English Language Proficiency waiver policy and application form here. 

 

10. Who is eligible to apply for an English language proficiency waiver?

You may receive a waiver to the English Language Proficiency requirement if you studied at least two consecutive of the previous five years of full-time study at a recognized high school, college, or university where the primary language of instruction is English. Applicants may receive a waiver if they have completed at least two years of full-time study at a recognized high school, college, or university where the primary language of instruction was English. For more information, please refer to the English Language proficiency waiver policy at http://policies.aua.am/policy/143. To apply for the waiver, applicants should create a profile at http://im.aua.am and submit an English Language Proficiency Test Waiver form.

11. Is there a minimum score for the TOEFL IBT and IETLS Academic exams?

The TOEFL iBT and IETLS Academic target score requirements for admission at AUA are as follows.

  • TOEFL iBT – 79 or higher
  • IELTS Academic – 6.5 or higher

Applicants should note, however, that meeting the scores listed above is not a guarantee of admission. On the other hand, having scores lower does not result in automatic denial. Only those applicants with a 67 or lower on the TOEFL iBT or 5.5 or lower on the IELTS Academic will be automatically denied admission.

12. Is there a specific date when I must submit my application?

Yes. The deadline will be announced in early 2021.

13. What if I forgot to attach a required document to my application or did not report my official test score to AUA?

It is your responsibility to submit a complete application. If you forget to send a required document or do not report an official score to AUA, please immediately contact the Office of Admissions and make sure to send those missing documents by email to [email protected].

The Office of Admissions screens all submitted applications for technical eligibility. If your application is incomplete, please note that it will not be considered for further review by the Admissions Committee. Incomplete applications will be moved to the following deadline date. If you fail to complete your application by the rolling admissions deadline date, the Office of Admissions will update your application status to ineligible.

14. How do I pay my application fee?

Your application fee may be paid online, via Easy Pay Cash Machine (Armenia only), or bank transfer We strongly encourage applicants to make payments online as it may take up to 10 business days for your account to reflect Easy Pay or Bank Transfer payments. Detailed instructions are available on the payment page in http://im.aua.am once you have submitted your application.

TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID

15. What can I expect to pay for tuition as a Certificate student?

For more information, applicants are encouraged to review https://admissions.aua.am/certificate-programs/#tuition

16. Does AUA Offer Financial Aid?

Yes.  AUA is committed to providing the best possible education to its students. As such, AUA’s admissions process is need-blind.  AUA policy is that no Armenian citizen admitted to AUA will be denied study because of demonstrated financial need, as determined by the AUA Financial Aid Committee based on a number of factors. AUA offers a number of financial aid opportunities for both Armenian citizens and international students. For more information, applicants are encouraged to review http://finaid.aua.am/financial-aid-definition/.

 

17. How can I apply for Tuition Assistance?

The tuition assistance application form can be found here and the list of the required documents (checklist) can be found here. Applicants need to fill in the corresponding application form and submit the hard copy of the TA application form together with the required documents to the Office of Financial Aid by the announced deadline on their website. 

18. Is there a specific date when I must submit the tuition assistance application form?

Please refer to the Financial Aid website for the deadlines for Tuition Assistance applications. 

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