PG Cert

Teaching English as an Additional Language

Teaching & Learning

Distance learning

We understand that full-time study does not suit everyone. That’s why we offer courses which give you the opportunity to decide where, when and how you can get involved in learning. Studying a distance learning course offers the convenience and flexibility to make education work for you. Whether you’d like to fit your studies around childcare, develop your skills while working or, quite simply, want to learn from the comfort of your own home, we can help you gain a qualification at a time and pace that suits your lifestyle.

Like our students on campus, you’ll have the same excellent teaching and learning resources, however you’ll find these online instead of a lecture theatre. Not only are all the modules taught online, but you’ll also have access to an online community and more than 140,000 books and journals in our online library.

Technical requirements for distance learning study are detailed in the full guide. Visit our distance learning website for more information.

Overall workload

Each module on our distance learning courses is individually designed to maximise your learning so study requirements will vary. As a general guideline, you’ll need to allocate around 10 hours per week to complete each module, plus a further five hours for additional reading and assignments. However, this may vary depending on the module. Teaching and learning will be delivered using a range of interactive resources. This typically includes audio and video content, group discussions, reflective exercises, quizzes, online reading and much more. All these resources are delivered through our Virtual Learning Environment and can be accessed at a time and place that suits you.

What you'll learn

This module will introduce you to the field of language acquisition. You'll gain a thorough understanding of multilingual acquisition by both children and adults in a wide range of socio-cultural contexts. For example, learners’ experiences of learning ‘standard’ languages, the acquisition of minority languages, and language acquisition in populations with special needs. You'll explore theories, concepts, and research approaches in language acquisition. Your studies will look at opposing ideas about how humans learn language, such as Universal Grammar and usage-based approaches. Using your own experience as a language user and learner, relevant case studies and the latest research, you'll develop your knowledge and understanding of how language is acquired. You'll also understand how language is obtained at the level of sounds, words, grammar, as well as social aspects of communication.
Develop your awareness of language systems to inform teaching and assessing students at different levels. This module will enable you to critically analyse language and texts for teaching and assessment purposes. You’ll work in groups to apply your learning to selected texts.
Examine issues of evaluating and selecting appropriate methods and models of language teaching for different learners and settings. You’ll consider the importance of context when making methodological and other decisions when designing courses for teaching English. This module will explore and critically examine macro contexts such as multilingualism, identity, sociolinguistics, policy, and global elements within which we teach and use English. For example, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), Young Learners (YL), and English as an Additional Language (EAL).
This module will introduce you to the field of language acquisition. You'll gain a thorough understanding of multilingual acquisition by both children and adults in a wide range of socio-cultural contexts. For example, learners’ experiences of learning ‘standard’ languages, the acquisition of minority languages, and language acquisition in populations with special needs. You'll explore theories, concepts, and research approaches in language acquisition. Your studies will look at opposing ideas about how humans learn language, such as Universal Grammar and usage-based approaches. Using your own experience as a language user and learner, relevant case studies and the latest research, you'll develop your knowledge and understanding of how language is acquired. You'll also understand how language is obtained at the level of sounds, words, grammar, as well as social aspects of communication.
Develop your awareness of language systems to inform teaching and assessing students at different levels. This module will enable you to critically analyse language and texts for teaching and assessment purposes. You’ll work in groups to apply your learning to selected texts.
Examine issues of evaluating and selecting appropriate methods and models of language teaching for different learners and settings. You’ll consider the importance of context when making methodological and other decisions when designing courses for teaching English. This module will explore and critically examine macro contexts such as multilingualism, identity, sociolinguistics, policy, and global elements within which we teach and use English. For example, English for Academic Purposes (EAP), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), Young Learners (YL), and English as an Additional Language (EAL).