Changed roles

Malta has been receiving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners since the early 1960s, and now receives over 80,000 learners a year.

Though marketing and sales efforts to attract foreign learners to Malta are important, the backbone of the industry is, of course, the teachers and the teaching. Methodologies and approaches have changed over the past 40 years.

The role of the modern teacher is different to that in the early pioneering days. Today's teacher needs to be learner-centred, which requires performing a variety of classroom roles: still an expert, of course, but also a facilitator, a counsellor, a planner, a researcher, a classroom manager, a process manager, a listener more than a talker.

The syllabus, too, is radically different from when the staple of foreign language teaching and learning was grammar, more grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing. Those are still there, but the demands of today's world mean that teachers and learners often need to prioritise speaking and listening skills, and far more classroom time is devoted to training learners in strategies to help them communicate more effectively.

These changes in teacher roles, learner needs and syllabi created a real need for teacher training. And so, in the early 1990s, Malta saw the development of obligatory EFL teacher training and the arrival of internationally prestigious TEFL courses, such as the Cambridge ESOL CELTA and, a decade later, the Trinity TESOL certificate.

These courses prepare teachers for the often dramatic switch from the teacher-centred to the learner-centred classroom and sets them off on a professional career and a voyage of discovery.

The discoveries are many. Yet, after a few years, the enquiring teacher often begins to feel a thirst for new knowledge, new approa-ches and teaching techniques, to go beyond the practical and to understand more deeply the theories underpinning their practice. That's when they are ready for the DELTA.

The Cambridge ESOL DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults) is widely perceived in the world of English language teaching as the queen of teacher qualifications, the jewel in the English language teacher's crown. The accredited centre in Malta is IELS in Sliema.

"I did my DELTA several years ago", explains a local director of studies, "and it really equipped me with the knowledge and skills I need to oversee teaching and support teachers academically, develop new courses and be up-to-date with all the latest language learning theories and teaching techniques."

The Malta DELTA at IELS is privileged to have two trainers of the highest calibre. The main tutor is Alan Marsh, who is well-known on the local EFL scene as a highly professional, inspirational teacher and teacher-trainer who regularly delivers training courses for experienced teachers all over Europe.

Asked how the DELTA helps teachers, Marsh explains: "DELTA is about flexibility, and challenging and re-evaluating everything teachers have been told about teaching, or anything they've ever done in class. On the DELTA, teachers explore their own teaching practices. They also acquire an immense amount of knowledge about how English works, about different teaching methods, and about testing and assessment."

Working in tandem with Marsh is Kate Evans, a highly experienced DELTA tutor with a worldwide reputation in ELT and who will be coming to Malta specifically for the course. The course itself is run on an innovative blended learning model, with six weeks face-to-face with the tutors and 12 weeks online.

What do past DELTA candidates have to say about the Malta DELTA? Angie Conti, now deputy director of studies, reflects carefully: "I decided to do the DELTA mainly for personal development reasons - and it was the best decision I've ever made. DELTA has also opened doors in my career; it has given me promotion opportunities, as I am taken far more seriously, because having DELTA proves I am committed and dedicated to my profession.

"The best thing I feel I have learnt is the 'theory behind teaching', which has improved my classroom performance, allowing me the potential to adjust according to the environment I am teaching in. As a result, I have become more confident and enjoy much more job satisfaction. I now have the tools to be creative and innovative."

The Cambridge DELTA is recognised by English language teaching institutions all over the world, and is highly respected. The nine graduates from the last DELTA course in Malta currently hold senior positions in language schools in Malta, the UK, Hungary, Kuwait, Peru and the Czech Republic.

"For Malta," adds Joe Borg, general manager of IELS, "having a local school which has undergone the rigorous vetting required to become an approved Cambridge DELTA centre is a feather in our country's TEFL cap. It is quality teaching that will ensure the long-term success of Malta's EFL market, and we are proud to offer this opportunity to the professional teaching community in its continuing endeavour to achieve academic and pedagogical excellence."

Ms Pearson is director of studies, IELS.

julia.pearson@iels.com.mt