Custom Teacher Training Programs

Two-Week In-Person Program

The English Teacher Training Program is customized to meet the needs of primary, secondary or higher education English educators. The program is adapted for undergraduate and graduate students, including in-service teachers. Instruction is provided by faculty from the SFSU English Department, M.A. TESOL Program and the College of Professional & Global Education. The program focuses on relevant training and mentoring based participants’ pedagogical contexts. This intensive two-week program provides 60 hours of learning experiences including instructional sessions with faculty, group work, school visits, classroom observations, meetings with local teachers and cultural enrichment activities.

Program Goals

Goals are customized based on the needs of participants in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. In a typical program participant will achieve the following learning objectives:

• Deepen understanding of current English teaching theory and methodology, particularly the Communicative Language Teaching Approach
• Learn new teaching methodologies for reading, writing, speaking, listening and academic skills development
• Develop best practices in curriculum design, lesson planning and sourcing materials
• Gain methods for assessing and evaluating students
• Learn to use technological tools and digital resources for teaching English
• Engage and collaborate towards a common goal in group work projects
• Grow your network of U.S. and international educators and engage in cultural exchange

Program Faculty

Seminars and workshops will be facilitated by staff, University faculty members, teacher trainers and local school leaders. The following are faculty who have provided instruction for past teacher training programs.

Tenured Faculty:

• David Olsher, Associate Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Priyanvada Abeywickrama, Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Robert Kohls, Associate Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Maricel Santos, Professor, Department Chair, M.A. TESOL Program
• Jerald Combs, Professor Emeritus, History
• Sheldon Gen, Associate Professor, Public Administration

English Language Instructors:

• Trang Tran, M.A. TESOL, Faculty at San Francisco State University
• Hana Arnold, M.A. TESOL, Academic Coordinator at San Francisco State University
• Benjamin Huynh, M.A. TESOL, Program Lead at San Francisco State University

The list above is not comprehensive and additional faculty and/or language instructors may be engaged in the program. Faculty and instructors are selected based on meeting the needs of the students and program objectives.

Program Curriculum

• Language Teaching Methodologies
• Types of Learners
• Communicative Language Teaching
• Reading and Writing Teaching Methodology
• Listening and Speaking Teaching Methodology
• Pronunciation Teaching Methodology
• Assessing Student Learning
• Instructional Technology

Optional Topics

• English and STEM Integrated Instruction
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
• English Medium Instruction (EMI)
• Motivation and Classroom Management
• Educational Leadership
• English language development and presentation skills for participants

Classroom Observations and Culture Site-Visits

• Classroom Observation Experiences and Meetings with Teachers
• Cultural Enrichment Trips

Pre-Program Survey

Once participants are confirmed, they will be asked to complete a brief pre-arrival survey about their backgrounds and areas of interest. Survey responses will help guide administrators and faculty in developing relevant curriculum and activities to meet participant needs.

Program Includes:

• Unlimited San Francisco Public Transportation Pass, Municipal Railway (Muni)
• Cultural Enrichment Activities
• Online Pre-Departure Orientation
• Certificate of Completion
• Custom Scheduling for Custom Groups of 15 or More
• Optional:
  • Roundtrip Airport Transportation
  • Organized Evening Activities and Weekend Trips

Visa

F-1 student visa not required. Participants can enter the U.S. on B-2 or visa waiver.

Fee

Estimated $1,600 per participant. 15 people minimum.
The fee does not include visa, insurance, meals or individual expenses.

Housing

We provide help with on-campus and off-campus accommodations. On-campus housing is only available in the summer.

Schedule

View the sample schedule.

English Teacher Training Sample Schedule

 

Five-Week Online Program

The English Teacher Training Program is customized to meet the needs of primary, secondary or higher education English educators. The program is adapted for undergraduate and graduate students, including in-service teachers. The program focuses on relevant training and mentoring based participants’ pedagogical contexts. Instruction is provided by faculty from the SFSU English Department, M.A. TESOL Program and the College of Professional & Global Education. This five-week online program provides 45 hours of learning experiences including instructional sessions with faculty, group work, classroom observation experience and meetings with local teachers.

Program Goals

Goals are customized based on the needs of participants in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. In a typical program participant will achieve the following learning objectives:

• Deepen understanding of current English teaching theory and methodology, particularly the Communicative Language Teaching Approach
• Learn new teaching methodologies for reading, writing, speaking, listening and academic skills development
• Develop best practices in curriculum design, lesson planning and sourcing materials
• Gain methods for assessing and evaluating students
• Learn to use technological tools and digital resources for teaching English
• Engage and collaborate toward a common goal in group work projects
• Grow your network of U.S. and international educators and engage in cultural exchange

Program Faculty

Seminars and workshops will be facilitated by staff, University faculty members, teacher trainers and local school leaders. The following are faculty who have provided instruction for past teacher training programs.

Tenured Faculty:

• David Olsher, Associate Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Priyanvada Abeywickrama, Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Robert Kohls, Associate Professor, M.A. TESOL Program
• Maricel Santos, Professor, Department Chair, M.A. TESOL Program
• Jerald Combs, Professor Emeritus, History
• Sheldon Gen, Associate Professor, Public Administration

English Language Instructors:

• Trang Tran, M.A. TESOL, Faculty at San Francisco State University
• Hana Arnold, M.A. TESOL, Academic Coordinator at San Francisco State University
• Benjamin Huynh, M.A. TESOL, Program Lead at San Francisco State University

The list above is not comprehensive and additional faculty and/or language instructors may be engaged in the program. Faculty and instructors are selected based on meeting the needs of the students and program objectives.

Program Curriculum

• Language Teaching Methodologies
• Types of Learners
• Communicative Language Teaching
• Reading and Writing Teaching Methodology
• Listening and Speaking Teaching Methodology
• Pronunciation Teaching Methodology
• Assessing Student Learning
• Instructional Technology

Optional Topics

• English and STEM Integrated Instruction
• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
• English Medium Instruction (EMI)
• Motivation and Classroom Management
• Educational Leadership
• English language development and presentation skills for participants

Online Classroom Observations

The program will include classroom observation experiences and that may be live online or recorded based on participants’ time zones and program scheduling.

Pre-Program Survey

Once participants are confirmed, they will be asked to complete a brief pre-arrival survey about their backgrounds and areas of interest. Survey responses will help guide administrators and faculty in developing relevant curriculum and activities to meet participant needs.

Online Program Includes:

• Access to SFSU Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas
• SFSU Zoom access
• Live office hours and advising
• Certificate of Completion
• Custom scheduling for custom groups of 15 or more

Technology Requirements

Participants use a laptop or desktop computer for live lessons with Zoom. Chromebooks, tablets, iPads and smartphones are not used. A stable internet connection is required.

Fee

Estimated $1,200 per participant. 15 people minimum.

Online Program Schedule

This five-week program is live, synchronous, online nine hours a week, three hours a day, three days a week for a total of 45 hours. Based on participants’ time zones, an online schedule will be decided mutually with international partners. The time of year the program is scheduled is flexible.

View the sample schedule.

English Teacher Training Sample Schedule

English Teacher Training Program for Undergraduate Education Majors
February 2020

This custom program was designed for undergraduate education majors from Chinju National University of Education, Korea, in collaboration with faculty from SFSU's Graduate College of Education. The program focused on EFL teaching methodology for primary and secondary school learners.

Program at a Glance:

• Ten-Day Program on Campus at SFSU
• Participants: Ten Korean Undergraduate Education Majors
• Two Public School Visits with Classroom Observations and Meetings with Teachers and Staff

Curriculum Highlights:

• Communicative Language Teaching
• Reading and Writing and Listening and Speaking Teaching Methodologies
• Instructional Technology
• Assessing Student Learning
• Academic Presentation Skills Short Course

English and STEM Integrated Instruction
January 2020

This U.S. State Department funded program was provided in partnership with FHI 360 in coordination with the Regional English Language Office (RELO) at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil. The program was carried in collaboration with faculty from SFSU Graduate College of Education, English Department and Mathematics Department.

Program at a Glance:

• Two-Week Program at SFSU
• Participants: 15 Brazilian Primary and Secondary School Teachers and Administrators
• Three Public School Visits with Classroom Observations and Meetings with Teachers and Staff
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Service Learning, Volunteering
• Silicon Valley Tour

Curriculum Highlights:

• Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
• Content-Based Models of English and STEM
• Learning Mathematics through Conversation and Debate
• Game-Based Pedagogy
• Advocating for Our Students as Culturally Responsive Teachers

PDPI Brazil English Teachers Program
January and February 2018

This custom program was developed for teachers from Brazil sponsored by PDPI (Programa de Desenvolvimento Profissional para Professores de Lingua Inglesa nos EUA). The program provided a robust training in English teaching methodology, classroom observations, teaching practicum experiences, service learning and advanced English language instruction. The participants benefited from substantive interaction with faculty from the SFSU English Department, M.A. TESOL Program, Graduate College of Education and the College of Professional & Global Education.

Program at a Glance:

• Six-Week Program at SFSU
• Participants: 26 Brazilian Primary and Secondary School Teachers
• Two School Visits with Observations and Meetings Teachers and Staff
• Service Learning at the Pomeroy Center

Curriculum Highlights:

• Reading and Writing and Listening and Speaking Teaching Methodologies
• Language Assessment
• Classroom Technology
• Workshop on Readers' Theatre
• Advanced English Short Course for Participants

U.S. Primary Education Studies and Academic English Program
January 2020

Designed for graduate students from Chinju National University of Education, Korea, this program focused on U.S. primary education teaching methodology and developing participants’ academic English skills. The program was provided in collaboration with faculty from SFSU’s Graduate College of Education.

Program at a Glance:

• Ten-Day Program at SFSU
• Participants: Eight Korean in-Service Graduate Students Majoring in Education
• Two Elementary School Visits: One Private Montessori School and One Public School; Classroom Observations and Meetings with Teachers and Staff
  • Participants Taught Lessons on Korean Culture in English

Curriculum Highlights:

• Cultural Competency
• Critical Thinking in History Lessons
• English for Education Studies Short Course
• Academic Lecture Listening and Discussion Short Course

Argentina Educators Training Program
October 2017

This professional development program for Argentine educators was provided in partnership with American Councils for International Education. Participants acquired new teaching methods, strategies to contribute to education research and leadership skills in K-12 education.

Program at a Glance:

• Three-Week Program at SFSU
• Participants: 25 Argentine Primary and Secondary School Teachers and Administrators
• Conducted in Spanish and as-Needed Professional Interpreters Provided Interpretation
• 60 Hours of Local School Shadowing at Eight Local Schools (Public, Private and Charter) Ranging from Pre-K to High School

Curriculum Highlights:

• Student-Centered Transversal Competences and Competence-Based Curriculum Design
• Bilingual Educators for Social Transformation
• Teacher Action Research in Early Childhood Education
• Special Education and Universal Access for Learning