PROJECT Professional Development Course for English Language Teachers (PDCELT)

VISION
       NDU of Ukraine Professional Development Course for English teachers is a leading residential Professional Development Course for the English Teachers of the institutions of Security and Defence Sector of Ukraine.

 

MISSION.
       The MISSION of the Course is to provide an option of a highly qualified professional development Course for teachers of English in order to build capacity for the consistency of English language training of civil and military personnel in the Security and Defence Sector of Ukraine according to the world standards and requirements.

 

COURSE’S PURPOSE AND OUTCOMES (COMPETENCIES)

       The purpose of the course is to update and enlarge the professional competencies of English language teachers of higher military educational institutions and military training units of higher educational institutions of Ukraine in the fields of organization of language training and foreign languages teaching methodology, namely:

- extend trainees' knowledge and awareness of the aspects of language,  and of the principles underlying language learning and teaching;

-  extend their familiarity with resources and materials for ELT and develop their ability to use, evaluate and, where appropriate, adapt or create classroom materials;

-  consolidate and refine trainees' planning and practical classroom skills;

-  enable trainees to identify learner needs, monitor and evaluate learner progress using different means of assessment;

-  help identify needs and opportunities to further their development as professionals

 - improve trainees' ability to use English for classroom purposes.

PDCELT is a highly practical course-based qualification which provides in-service teacher training and development for practising English language teachers    

 

ORIGIN

       The PDCELT was created on the basis of successful experience of organizing  the authentic ICELT Course (ICELT-Ukraine)  according to In-Service Certificate in English Language Training (ICELT) Programme of the University of Cambridge (UK)   which was held at the Ivan Cherniakhovskyi National University of Defense Foreign Languages Education and Research Centre for more than 10 years. ICELT-Ukraine proved to be efficient and effective, more than 80 graduates-representatives of SDSU & Moldova who received certificated of both NDUU and Cambridge University highly appreciate the given opportunity.
        PDCELT Programme and Syllabus is developed according to the best practices of ICELT-Ukraine;

- all the training sessions of the course  are conducted in English by

- the trainers certified by the University of Cambridge;

- еach trainee is assigned a personal tutor from among the course trainers;

- аll course trainers can be simultaneously involved  in conducting workshops during group or paired work.

REQUIREMENTS TO CANDIDATES

  • PDCELD is for practising teachers with no less than 3 years of previous teaching experience.
  • All candidates need to be teaching while taking the course. Course programmes are designed to help teachers develop in the context within which they are currently
  • The minimum language level entry requirement is Council of Europe Level B2/STANAG 3 (candidates must have a competence in written and spoken English which is sufficient for them to participate effectively in the course and to meet the assessment requirements.)

 

COURSE STRUCTURE

The training is carried at sessions and workshops of three residential blocks, trainees have to accomplish some individual work during the periods in-between the blocks.

A total of 166 hours are devoted to the Course study during residential blocks: 120 hours  for classes under the direction of trainers and 46 hours - for self-study.

In addition, trainees spend 482 hours on self-studying course material at the main place of their employment between the Modules. During these periods tutors conduct individual (on-line) consultations with trainees in-person.

 

 

CURRICULUM

The curriculum consists of three Modules & three themes accordingly:

 1.  Methods and techniques of teaching foreign languages. Teaching language aspects (systems lessons).

 2. Developing learners' reading, listening and writing skills.  Evaluating and supplementing materials. Basics of testing (STANAG requirements).

 3.  Methods of developing speaking  skills, creating a successful educational process for learning foreign languages. Ways of Professional Development.

 

ASSESSMENT

Between the Blocks  the trainees must perform the following individual tasks on their own at the main place of employment:

  • write 2 Language Tasks & prepare 1 oral LT in form of presentation;
  • write 2 Methodological Assignments;
  • conduct 1 Unassessed Lesson and 3 Assessed Lessons;
  • observe lessons conducted by their colleagues (4 (6) Peer Observations);
  • extensive reading (Reading and Research).
  • During the training each trainee compiles a "portfolio" of all completed tasks and assignments, plans of observed lessons, reports on peer observations and all mark sheets.

 

 

FINAL ASSESSEMENT

 

The final assessment is carried out by evaluating the quality of

 

  • the 3rd Assessed Lesson Observation during the last module and
  • the "portfolio" of the trainees, taking into account all the mark sheets.

Trainees who have successfully completed the course of study receive certificates of completion of advanced professional development training course.

 

MODE OF STUDY


Basically the residential blocks are led face-to-face.

In case of necessity PDCELT can be conducted in online or blended format with the use of NDUU distance learning platform (DLP).

In this case all the written tasks and assignments must be submitted via the DLP, all the lessons (including the last one)  be conducted at the trainees' institutions, recorded and sent to the tutors by email for evaluation; assessed lesson plans and self-evaluation must still be submitted to DLP.


TERMS OF STUDY

The PDCELT is usually scheduled once for each academic year.

 Regular studying months are October, January, April.

These terms as well as the mode of learning (contact, distance, blended) can be changed/adjusted in case of specific circumstances which will be officially stated by the MOD.

 

EXPERIMENTING & PILOTING

Programme developed: 2019

First trial: 2020-2021 with the following factual terms:

   Block 1  20-24 January 2020

   Block 2  19-23 October 2020

   Block 3  08-12 February 2021

Due to Covid-19 pandemic Block 2 & Block 3 were postponed from the initially stated dates and conducted online using NDUU distance learning platform.

The piloted course, conducted in fact in blended format (contact + distance), proved to be successful.

10 trainee-teachers representing 7 higher military  institutions graduated successfully from the Course.

Second trial: 2021 with the following terms:

   Block 1  01-05 March 2021

   Block 2  19-23 April 2021

   Block 3  14-18 June 2021

Due to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown Block 2 was conducted online using NDUU distance learning platform.

8 trainee-teachers representing 5 higher military  institutions graduated successfully from the Course.