Trainer Prep Course & Presenter Retreat
for Experienced Comprehension-Based Language Teachers
What’s Your Next Step? for experienced comprehension-based language teachers is an exhilarating, eye-opening, inspiring week of collaborative training and learning.
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The 3-day What’s Your Next Step? intensive Trainer Prep course (the Course) provides a clear model and a solid foundation to design or enhance your own training for acquisition-driven language teachers, equipping you to build and strengthen your community of comprehension-based communicative language teaching colleagues. As an added benefit, you join a growing network of teacher leaders with a common training background.
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A 2-day Presenter Retreat immediately follows the 3-day intensive course. The Retreat, open to anyone who has completed the Course (either 3-day this year or 5-day in previous years), provides two days of time and space for you to develop a presentation, workshop, or training, either alone or with a partner or team, in an atmosphere of collegial support and shared purpose.
Who should apply?
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All What’s Your Next Step? participants are already experienced comprehension-based communicative language teachers who have been to several input-focused workshops or conferences or completed the Dynamic Language Learning Basic Course or Altamira’s Extended-Release TCI Training. Therefore, neither the Course nor the Retreat explicitly trains participants in methods for teaching with comprehensible input. However both offer an excellent opportunity to review and reflect on our practice.
Applicants to the What’s Your Next Step intensive Course or Retreat answer this description:
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You are an experienced all-round comprehension-based communicative language teacher. We’d love to have the group reflect the growing variety of comprehension-based teaching methods.
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You have attended comprehension-focused training workshops and/or national/international conferences.
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You have offered or are hoping to offer your own comprehensible input-focused training and have presented or hope to present at national/international conferences.
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You keep building your skills by reading online and sharing ideas with other comprehension-based communicative language teachers.
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You want to share your success by training colleagues and other teachers.
What will you learn?
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The Course will address the differences between teaching a language to your students and training teachers to work with a comprehension-based communicative approach.
We will discuss & practice:
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brain principles and how they affect the things we do in training and teaching;
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what our trainees need to know, and how to build their knowledge and skills in a non-threatening, brain-friendly manner;
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the types of activities we might use during teacher training days, and how to develop them;
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coaching teachers and providing meaningful feedback on their practice;
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issues of resistance from teachers in training: How to listen to their concerns and respond so people will want to hear about input-based language teaching.
You will begin to build your own teacher training model to see how all the pieces fit together.
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Certificate of Completion
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At the end of the Course you will receive a certificate of completion which serves as official evidence of your participation in the What’s Your Next Step? intensive trainer prep course, should you need it.
Details
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Trainers/Facilitators: Kirstin Plante & Anny Ewing
Dates
Intensive Course: 3 days, to be announced.
Presenter Retreat: 2 days following Intensive Course. The Trainer Prep Intensive Course is a prerequisite for participation in the Presenter Retreat.
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Location
Altamira, Jamestown, RI
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Fee
$675 per person for 3-day, 4-night Trainer Prep Intensive Course
$300 per person for 2-day, 2-night Presenter Retreat.
$950 per person for combined 5-day training+retreat and 6 nights lodging.
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Number of participants
The minimum number of participants is 15, the maximum is 20 participants.
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Location – Lodging – Meals
The course will be held at Altamira, a spacious summer house in Jamestown, RI overlooking Narragansett Bay, within easy reach of beaches, restaurants, and the historic town of Newport. Lodging is available at Altamira and is included in the workshop fee. Meals are prepared and shared communally. BYO windsurfer, paddle board, yoga mat, running shoes, bicycle, or kayak.
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See for yourself! Watch our 2019 video here.
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Sample Schedule
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Sunday - Tuesday
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
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Wednesday
2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
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Thursday
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
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Friday:
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
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Evenings are left open for spontaneous sharing and reflection; practice and coaching; games, puzzles, and relaxation.
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Application
2022 Application will be available in this space when course is confirmed.
By filling out the application form, and emailing your CV to TrainerPrep@altamira.org, you provide evidence that you are an experienced all-round comprehension-based language teacher. What’s Your Next Step? may request additional information to make sure this course is a good fit for you. Once you have been notified of participation, your payment is due in full.
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Deadline
Rolling, until all 20 spaces are filled. (We have had a waiting list in previous years.)
Notification
Applicants will be notified of acceptance within 30 days of applying.
Payment
Once you have been notified of your acceptance, payment is due by March 1 or within 10 days of acceptance thereafter. Participation is not confirmed until payment is received. Payment should be made by check payable to Anny A Ewing and mailed to:
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Anny Ewing
Altamira Language Learning
2211 Eagle Farms Road
Chester Springs, PA 19425
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If you are not yet ready to apply, please join the What’s Your Next Step? mailing list to be kept informed about our training this year and in the future.
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