IATQUO – Our Mission

We are a specialist body which aims solely to promote and maintain internationally acceptable standards in the training of teachers of English to speakers of other languages.

To achieve this we provide

• initial and ongoing external accreditation/validation services to training organisations
• advice and information to those who are considering training to become teachers of English as a Foreign Language
• information on accredited/validated training courses to employers looking for suitably qualified teachers
• support for research and development in the field, resources permitting.

IATQuO has no financial interest in any of the courses that it accredits/validates.

IATQUO – Our Accreditation

Future teachers, course providers and employers need to know that the five pillars of an IATQuO accredited course are:

1. There are a minimum of 120 hours of contact between each trainee and tutors. (Most accredited courses have between 120 and 150 hours scheduled, including study time.)
2. There is adequate coverage of and a satisfactory balance between information and theory – English grammar and phonology, learning styles and teaching techniques – and practical work.
3. Each trainee teaches a minimum of 6 hours with classes of real learners that are observed and commented on by a tutor.
4. Tutors are suitably qualified and experienced, and academic management is satisfactory.
5. Premises and resources are of an acceptable standard and sufficient.

The above are criteria which the British Council requires of the initial training of teachers that they employ in their own teaching institutes and of teachers employed by schools accredited by them in the UK.

Courses accredited by IATQuO are visited and monitored/moderated by our specialists on a regular basis, normally every sixth to eighth course, or once a year if there are fewer courses in a year.

IATQUO – Background

There is an enormous demand for English worldwide both in education systems and in the professions and business. Many education systems cannot train sufficient teachers of English, and many learners only realise once they have finished their schooling that they need to take the learning of English seriously. Consequently there is a huge demand for qualified and effective teachers of English at all levels and for all ages.

It is no longer sufficient to be a native or highly proficient speaker of English to get a teaching job. More and more governments and discerning private language schools now require teachers who have obtained an accredited certificate in TEFL or TESOL.

Regrettably there are many courses available that claim to be able to train someone in a weekend, or in twenty hours, or over two weekends. Such courses cannot possibly provide an adequate training. There are other one month courses which claim to be internationally recognised, whatever that means, but who refuse to submit their programmes to external scrutiny. Are they below standard or do they not want to spend that little extra money? IATQuO advises such courses to submit to our scrutiny and advises all trainees to enrol only in externally accredited courses.