Having an EfECT: Professional development for teacher educators in Myanmar

While many teacher and teacher educator development projects take place, their impact is not always fully measured, and when it is, it's often found to be minimal.  To avoid this the English for Education College Trainers (EfECT) project in Myanmar, took a thorough approach to both project design and impact assessment.

A paper with the results of the assessment was produced by ELT experts, Professor Simon Borg, Ian Clifford and Dr Khaing Phyu Htut, and looks at the rationale behind the project design, the methodology for assessing the impact of project, and the results of those assessments.

Read the full paper in the Teaching and Teacher Education Journal.

Thai education supervisors develop their skills

Thai education supervisors have stepped back into the classroom to find out what the teachers in their districts have been learning at the Regional English Training Centres (RETC), so they can better support teachers who have completed the training. 

Read more about the supervisors' roles and what skills they have been honing.

Bringing learner-centred approaches to the classrooms of Vietnam

"I understand the idea of clear learning outcomes. It is not necessary to be a slave to the coursebook. I use fewer activities."

A teacher from Nam Dinh shared their thoughts with us after attending a practical course on learner-centred teaching approaches.

Hear more from the teachers of Nam Dinh and find out what the training involved.

Making a difference: Reflections on the Leaders of English Education Project

“Students are now more able to use English than before this training, when I didn’t have so much speaking or interaction in my classes.”

The Leaders of English Education Project (LEEP) is now in its fifth year.  We spoke to Teacher-Leader and Senior High School teacher, Mr Kazayuki Osako, about the difference the training has made to him, his students and other teachers in his area.

Hear more from Mr Osako about the impact LEEP has had on English teaching and learning in his area.

Supporting mobility for ASEAN university students

Thanks to new SHARE scholarships, university students from ASEAN countries have the chance to study in other ASEAN or EU countries for a semester.  However, they need enough English to be able to study in English. 

Students in Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam have been attending specially designed academic English courses to prepare them for this once in a lifetime study experience.

Hear from the students about how their English has improved and how this will help them when studying abroad.

Stepping outside their comfort zone, and country

"You gave us many teaching techniques which were useful not only for ESL teachers, but teachers in other subjects also." 

A group of primary school teachers from Thailand left both their country and their professional comfort zones to develop their primary teaching skills with British Council Singapore.

Find out more about the bespoke training offered by the Singapore Teacher Development team.

Online courses - TeachingEnglish Training

Our online training courses and self-study modules form part of the Teaching for Success approach to Continuing Professional Development, offering flexible study options to meet your training and development needs.  

Applying approaches to special educational needs starts on 25 July and will help you build an understanding of Special Educational Needs and how to immediately use inclusive practices with all your groups.

Exploring content and language integrated learning (CLIL) starts on 8 August and will help you to teach your subject more effectively in a second language.  

New publications

Several new publications are now available on our website to read online or download.

Journeys of Reflective Practice demonstrates ten teacher educators' professional reflective journeys through action research. 

Developing a self-assessment tool for English language teachers - Are teachers able to assess themselves accurately? Do they have the right assessment tools to do so? This research paper investigates these questions and takes a closer look at the British Council’s Self-Assessment Tool for teachers of English.

English Teaching in Early Years: Research in Peru investigates the possibility of a nationwide early English initiative in initial education in Peru and makes recommendations regarding possible approaches and teacher profiles.

Upcoming conferences across the region

Find out about ELT conferences and events taking place across East Asia in the coming months as well as deadlines for submitting papers, abstracts and presentations.