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Recruitment philosophy and professional development
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Over the last 20 years
Instituto Britanico has earned a reputation in Costa Rica for high quality
teaching that produces results. In order to maintain high standards there
is a commitment to recruit well-qualified native speakers, to train local
teachers who already have an excellent level of English and to run in-service
training programmes.
Native speakers recruited
from the UK, Ireland, North America, Australia, New Zealand and other
countries are selected for their professional experience and the quality
of their training. The UCLES and the Trinity College, London certificates
are the minimum qualification required of all Instituto Britanico's native
speaker teachers, although other TEFL courses of at least 70 hours with
observed teaching practice will be considered. |
New teachers and experienced
teachers from other institutions are recruited locally and selected because
of their command of English and their potential as Instituto Britanico
teachers. They are required to participate in a pre-service training course.
This course covers the essential aspects of the communicative teaching
techniques currently in use, together with observation of established
teachers' classes and monitored daily teaching practice.
All Instituto Britanico
teachers are regularly observed in class by the staff responsible for
teacher training and language programmes, and the subsequent reviews form
the basis of individual development plans.
In-service training courses and workshops on a variety of aspects of
the profession are held on a regular basis to allow teachers to share
their experience, to refresh their technique and to have the benefit of
new professional input.
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Timetables and books
| Adults |
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The Adults' programme generally has classes in the mornings and
evenings, Monday to Thursday, and on Saturdays classes are held
in the mornings and afternoons. The programme has six 8-week terms
a year with a two week breaks between break at mid year and Christmas.
For the General English courses, we offer seven levels, from
Beginner to Upper Advanced, each level having its own textbook
and being divided into two courses, A and B, for levels one to
four and three courses for levels five to seven.. Students have
three different options regarding the speed they study, with a
choice of Standard and Fast Track courses.
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On Friday evenings we offer students our Conversation Club range
of activities, which are free and optional, and for which we
have an extensive bank of support material for teachers in the
form of supplementary material sorted by course level and textbook
unit, games and a large section of reference and resource books
in the Study Centre. All classrooms are fitted with Sony audio
equipment and a room equipped with video facilities is available
by arrangement.
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| Textbooks for adults currently in use at Instituto Britanico are: |
| Level
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Courses |
Book |
| Beginner |
1A,
1B |
Cutting
Edge Elementary |
| Lower-intermediate |
2A,
2B |
Cutting
Edge Pre-Intermediate |
| Intermediate |
3A,
3B |
Cutting
Edge Intermediate |
| Upper-intermediate |
4A,
4B |
Cutting
Upper-Intermediate |
| Lower-advanced |
5A,
5B, 5C |
First Certificate Gold |
| Advanced |
6A,
6B, 6C |
Advanced
Gold |
| Upper-advanced |
7A,
7B, 7C |
Proficiency
Gold |
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| Young Learners |
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The Young Learners' programme (for 5 to 16 year olds) has classes in the afternoons Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings. During the national school year (February to December, with a three-week break in July) we offer standard courses and during the Costa Rican long break (in January) we hold a series of two-week modules featuring less conventional forms of study.
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Young learners are divided by age into three cycles (5-6, 7-11 and 12-16) and further subdivided by ability.
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| Textbooks for young learners currently in use are: |
| Age
5-6 |
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P1
y P2 |
Super
Me 1(A&B) |
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P3
y P4 |
Super
Me 2(A&B) |
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| Age
7-11 |
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E1 |
I Spy 1 |
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E2 |
I Spy 2 |
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E3 |
I Spy 3 |
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E4 |
I Spy 4 |
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E5
y E6 |
Network 1 (A&B) |
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E7
y E8 |
Network 2(A&B) |
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| Age
12-16 |
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S1
y S2 |
New
Hotline Beginner (A+B) |
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S3
y S4 |
New
Hotline Elementary (A&B) |
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S5
y S6 |
New
Hotline Pre-Intermediate (A&B) |
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S7
y S8 |
New
Hotline Intermediate
(A&B) |
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S9
y S10 |
New
Headaway Upper-Intermediate (A&B) |
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Requirements and remuneration
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On appoinment teachers are placed on the wage scale according to
their experience and qualifications. In addition, four week's holiday,
the obligatory Costa Rican Christmas bonus (a thirteenth month's
salary), and all official bank holidays are included in the stipend.
Teachers recruited from abroad receive a twelve-month contract
of employment which specifies various requirements and benefits.
A standard week is 24 to 28 contact hours and teachers are required
to work on both the Adults and the Young Learners programmes.
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Teachers
should be dressed casually smart whenever they are on the premises.
Work permits are arranged. Teachers completing the contract are
eligible for a bonus payment and, if they are leaving the country,
for their exit visa to be paid. A company doctor is available on
a regular basis.
Please note that foreign
teachers should take out a medical insurance policy before leaving home.
We are not able to offer health cover through the state system here. |
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