www.internationalquest.co.uk

Academic Programme Overview

Centre Staff Structure

International Quest Head OfficeThe Head Office is based in Bournemouth. Our Head Office Team, Matthew, Anita,Philip, Clau-dia, Aron and Greg, are there to support you at all times during the summer. Your main contact will be Greg, who will be guiding you through

the recruitment and induction process.

Centre DirectorEach centre has a Centre Director, who has over-all responsibility for the running of the course.

They are in regular contact with Head Office and will update you with important

information. When you arrive at your designat-ed centre, make sure you find out who your CD

is in case of emergency.

Teaching ManagerEach centre will have at least one Teaching Manager. They will be your main contact in the centre and will tell you which classes you will be teaching and when. They will also be available to provide you with advice on all aspects of the teaching programme.

Activity ManagerThe Activity Manager works very closely with the Centre Director to make sure the activity

programme runs smoothly. They are responsible for planning and timetabling all activities and

excursions and also for your schedule of duties and time off.

TeachersAs a teacher for IQuest we expect you to be friendly, supportive, enthusiastic, motivated and hard working. Teaching on a summer course can be challenging, but the TM is there to offer support and guidance. As a general rule, the more you put into the role, the more you will enjoy and get out of it.

Activity LeadersActivity Leaders are responsbile for making the Activity Programme attractive, fun and interesting. You will also be asked to supervise during breaks and mealtimes and so will be spending a lot of time with the students. Getting to know you is an important part of their summer experience.

ClientsInternational Quest has been providing summer English language programmes for young learners (YL) aged 11-17 since 1996. Our students come from a number of different countries including Italy, Spain, France, Russia, Romania, Czech Re-

public, Greece, Turkey and China

CoursesStudents receive 17.5 hours of tuition per week plus a full activity and excursion programme. They come on short 2, 3 and 4-week general English courses with the aim of improving their communication skills.Students live on campus for the duration of their stay, and the majority of them come in groups accompanied by a group leader from their home country. Our courses run from the end of June until mid-August. Opening and closing dates vary according to size, location, popularity, and the access we have to the campus. Most teachers work 3 or 4 -week contracts.

CentresWe have centres throughout the UK and Ireland. They are based on university campuses and can accommodate from 100 - 450 students at any one time. Teaching teams vary according to student numbers, but you can expect to be part of team that has between 4 - 25 teachers.

Our clients, our courses, our centres

Placement and grouping

Whenever possible, students complete an on-line placement test before they start their course. This means we can assign them to classes before they arrive at their centre. Students who have not taken the on-line test may be asked to take a paper version and/or do a short oral examination on their first day so we can assess their level. Our placement procedure not only takes into consideration a student’s language ability but also age, nationality and communicative competence. Students are placed at levels that guarantee communicative challenge and interest. Centres will offer classes at up to six levels within Council of Europe bands A1 and C2.

Council of Europe

As part of its Modern Language Project, The Council of Europe has standardised levels of language achievement to produce a Common European Framework of Reference for language learning, teaching and assessment. The Framework outlines objectives, methods and assessment in language teaching and is used for planning language syllabuses, examinations, textbooks and teacher training programmes throughout Europe. The Framework defines six levels, A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2, and describes overall abilities for reading, writing, speaking and listening skills at each of these levels. More information can be found at http://www.cambridgeenglishteacher.org/what_is_this

Timetables

We run two types of timetable, zig-zag and standard, depending on the number of students at the centre in any one week. On a standard timetable teachers work mornings only, Monday to Friday. On a zig-zag timetable teachers work mornings and afternoons, Monday to Friday - most of our centres have a zig-zag timetable. You are paid per session. On a standard timetable a teacher will work five sessions per week and on a zig-zag timetable, ten sessions per week. Each session is broken down into three lessons, two of 80 minutes and one of 50 minutes. The start and finish times for the lessons may vary between centres. A teacher will be with the same group of learners for the first two 80-minute lessons and then swap classes with another teacher for the shorter 50-minute lesson. Maximum class size is 15. Below is a typical zig-zag timetable:

MondayGroup AClass 1

80 minutes

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday FridayGroup AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

Group AClass 1

80 minutes

15-minute break

Group AClass 2

50 minutes

60-minute lunch break

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

15-minute break

15-minute break

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 4

50 minutes

Group AClass 2

50 minutes

Group AClass 2

50 minutes

Group AClass 2

50 minutes

Group AClass 2

50 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 3

80 minutes

Group BClass 4

50 minutes

Group BClass 4

50 minutes

Group BClass 4

50 minutes

Group BClass 4

50 minutes

Mor

ning

teac

hing

sess

ion

After

noon

teac

hing

sess

ion

15-minute break

Syllabus and Resources

We have based our syllabus on a cycle of topic-based lessons. Each day students focus on a different topic. A topic-based syllabus enables students to improve confidence and fluency and contribute more comfortably at their own level. It also enables learners to explore many of the subjects an examiner may discuss with students who have decided to enrol for the optional Trinity GESE oral exam.

Our experienced academic team at Head Office drafts syllabuses and selects appropriate teaching resources to reflect the different ages, levels and needs of our students. Curricula and materials are reviewed and revised each year to ensure that they remain relevant, up-to-date and in line with current teaching practice. Our set course book is Quick Smart English (QSE), and we use this with all learners from elementary to advanced. Students are given a copy of the course book to write in and take home with them.

Teachers will focus on improving oral fluency and communication skills. Classes will primarily focus on units from the set coursebook but will also include more formal language work, exam preparation, communicative/fluency-based tasks, excursion preparation, project work, or time exploring the world of British culture through drama or literature.

Lesson Guidelines

We provide a comprehensive set of lesson guidelines for all teachers to use. These take a lot of stress out of lesson planning by giving teachers ideas on how to best work with the coursebooks. Although we encourage teachers to use their own ideas and express their own teaching style, we also emphasise the necessity of adhering to the daily lesson aims and objectives of the syllabus and outlined in the guidelines.

Teachers have access to lesson guidelines for each book together with supplementary ideas and suggestions for teaching the younger (11-13 year old) students.

Trinity GESE Examinations

Trinity College London Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE) are an internationally recognised series of exams of spoken English for students of all ages and levels. The examinations allow students to demonstrate their English language skills in a one-to-one conversation with an external examiner at a level to match their own particular ability. The award of a Trinity Certificate adds international validity and recognition to our programmes. Trinity College examinations are recognised by universities and employers in over 40 countries around the world. They can be taken at twelve grades, from Initial to Advanced: Initial (1-3), Elementary (4-6), Intermediate (7-9) and Advanced (10-12). During the exam the examiner will spend between 5 and 25 minutes with the student. All but the lowest (Initial) grades of Trinity exams require students to be ready to discuss certain topics. At more advanced grades (Intermediate and above), they will need to take part in an ‘interactive task’ with the examiner. All International Quest centres are registered for Trinity College examinations and we currently have a 95% pass rate. 90% of our candicates take exam levels 3-8.

Assessment is based on several factors which include:

* readiness - how effectively a student can take part in a conversation * pronunciation - how well a student produces sounds and uses stress and intonation * usage - the student’s ability to use vocabulary and structures at that level accurately and appropriately * focus - how well students organise what they say and how effectively they get their message across

Trinity GradesTrinity Stages Common European Framework

Grade 12

Grade 11

Grade 10

Grade 9

Grade 8

Grade 7

Grade 6

Grade 5

Grade 4

Grade 3

Grade 2

Grade 1

C2

C2

C2

B2

B2

B2

B1

B1

B1

A2

A1

-

Advanced

Intermediate

Elementary

Initial

Certificates

On completion of their course students are issued with an end-of-course certificate. This is a record of their attendance on their programme and it details level, length and location of the course. The Common European Framework levels are defined on the back of the certificate. Certificates are either handed to students in an end-of-course ceremony or given out by their class teacher in their final class.

Pre-interview task

Please prepare ONE of the following (of your choice) to discuss during your interview. You should spend no longer than ten minutes preparing for this task.

1. How would you explain the difference in meaning between ground/floor, fun/funny, and journey/trip to a group of intermediate learners?2. To what extent do you agree with the following? I still stick to most of the principles I learnt in my initial teacher training course such as including lots of pair work and keeping teacher talk very low.3. You have a multi-lingual group of learners aged 13-16 this summer in one of our centres. You want to teach them “Would you like...” as in, “Would you like a coffee?” How would you go about this?4. Summarise/describe your teaching style/principles (e.g. ‘language learning should be student-centred’) and explain how you apply these in the classroom.5. Think of a monolingual group of learners you have taught. Explain some of the main learning difficulties your learners had in one of the following areas:• Speaking / Listening / Reading / Writing / Vocabulary• Explain how you attempted to deal with this issue in the classroom

Any questions? Please see our FAQs attachment. If you have any further questions contact Greg at: academic@internationalquest.co.uk

FAQs

Recruitment Process

I am available to work in August but not in July. Can I still work for you?Our peak period is in July so we require teachers to be available for most of the month. We rarely offer contracts to applicants who are not available in July.

Will I need to have a DBS check to apply?Appropriate DBS or PVGS (formerly CRB) clearance will be required prior to confirmation of your appointment, and IQ can assist with obtaining this. If you are resident outside of the UK, you need to obtain a Police ‘certificate of good conduct’ (outside UK) in line with International Quest’s safeguarding policy.

I am not a native English speaker can I still work for you?We employ teachers who are native English speakers and teachers who have a near native (C2) level of English.

I am not an EU citizen can I still work for you?If you have a working visa and permission to work in the UK, then yes. We will need to see proof of your right to work in the UK prior to offering you a contract. We are unable to sponsor Visa applicants.

When will I hear if my interview has been successful?Within one week of your telephone interview, a member of the recruitment team will contact you to let you know the outcome.

What will my duties be?Please see the job description on the International Quest website.

How long will my contract be?This will depend on the centre. All of our centres have different opening and closing dates due to campus availability and student bookings. Teaching contracts will vary from 2-8 weeks but the majority of contracts are 4 weeks.

How many hours per week will I work?You will either be working on a STANDARD or ZIG-ZAG timetable:Standard Timetable - You will have 17.5 contact teaching hours per week Monday to Friday (mornings only).Zig-Zag Timetable - You will have up to 36 contact teaching hours per week Monday – Friday (mornings and afternoons). Note: Those on the Zig-Zag timetable will be provided with a hot lunch free of charge each day.

Do teachers ever have to do afternoon/evening activities or go on excursions?No. Teachers are recruited to be teachers, not teacher/activity leaders. If you would like to go on an excursion or participate in activities you need to ask your Centre Director. Any participation in activities or excursions will be done on a voluntary basis

How many days off do I get per week?Teachers work Monday to Friday only. You will not be required to work at weekends.

Will I be able to use International Quest as a reference for future employers?Of course! It is company policy that all references come from Head Office in Bournemouth. N.B. Please do not ask your Teaching Manager for a reference. Please address correspondence to: Recruitment Team International Quest Ltd. 3 Trinity 161 Old Christchurch Road Bournemouth, BH1 1JU United KingdomTraining

Will I have to attend an induction before my centre opens?Yes. The first part of the induction will give you an introduction to the materials you will be using during the summer. This is an ideal opportunity to familiarise yourself with the Quick Smart English (QSE) course books you will be using. We will also provide you with information on what is expected of you together with details on how you will be paid, etc. This is usually carried out a few days before your centre is due to open.

The second part of the induction will be a teacher development workshop focusing on areas of teacher development, such as teaching YLs, classroom management, corrective feedback, etc.

What do I need to bring to the induction? During the recruitment process we will ask you to email copies of your degree, TEFL qualification/s, ID (passport or driver’s licence) to us. However, it is essential that you bring the originals to the induction day.

Will I be observed during the summer?Yes, you will be observed at least once. You will then be given oral and written feedback on the observation. Observations are carried out as a means of teacher development and quality control.

Do you carry out teacher training/development sessions while at the centres?You will have short teacher development sessions led by your Teaching Manager at agreed times. You will also find copies of our teacher development booklet in your staff room.

Working at an International Quest centre

What do I need to bring to the centre with me on the first day?Yourself - and make sure you are on time.

Who do I report to?You report to your Teaching Manager (DOS) who you should meet at your induction day.

Where do the students come from and how old are they?We mainly host students from around Europe and Russia. Students are aged between 11-17.

How many students will there be in my centre?There will be between 80 and 500 students at your centre at any one time. The number of students varies from centre to centre.

How many teachers will I be working with?Again, this will depend on the centre but, there could be anywhere from 4-20 teachers working alongside you.

Will I be given a staff pass while working on campus?You will be given an International Quest lanyard with photo ID. We will use the photo that you attached to your application. If you are not happy with this photo please forward a new one to: academic@internationalquest.co.uk stating your name and the centre you will be working in. Your ID must be worn at all times while on duty. Universities may also give you a separate university pass which you must carry with you at all times until the end of your contract.

Can I park my car at the centre?This will depend on the centre. Limited parking may be available and cannot be guaranteed. Please let the recruitment team know if you require parking when you are interviewed.

Teaching

Do I have to follow the lesson plans or can I use my own resources?Teachers working on a zig-zag timetable will have a heavy workload. Our lesson plans have been written to minimise preparation time. The lesson plans have also been written with Trinity GESE candidates in mind. Of course you can add your own teaching style and we expect you to adapt the lesson plans to meet the needs of your students but we do ask that you follow the lesson plans. The academic programme has been carefully designed, and we get a large number of returning students and group leaders each year, who come back because they are happy with it.

What is Trinity GESE?GESE stands for: Graded Examinations in Spoken English. Please see the following link which will direct you to the Trinity GESE website: http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=368 . Approximately 40% of our students will sit one of these exams before leaving one of our centres. Part of your role may involve preparing students for their Trinity speaking exam.

How many students will I have in a class?There is a maximum of 15 students per class. The average is usually about 12.

Will I have to write lesson plans?No. Lesson plans/guidelines have already been written for you to use in class. You will however be required to write formal lesson plans when you are observed by your Teaching Manager, the Head Office Staff or an inspector from the British Council.

Will the teaching staff have access to the Internet?The amount of Internet access you will have in your centre will depend on the centre. In some centres you will be able to access the Internet from your classroom to use as a teaching aid. In others Internet access may only be available in the staff room. The number of computers available in the staff room is limited so you cannot rely on the Internet as a resource.

Will there be Interactive White boards in my centre?All classrooms will have whiteboards, some may also have interactive whiteboards. If your centre has interactive whiteboards you will be given training at your induction day or when you arrive at your centre.

Will we have access to a photocopier?Only your Teaching Manager will have access to a photocopier. In reality there should be little need to use a photocopier as we provide you with necessary materials.

What teaching resources will we be provided with?In your centre there will be a small library of reference books and a number of resources books, plus in-house communicative activities to use with students.

Payment

How and when will I get paid?You will be paid weekly in arrears. Teachers work Monday to Friday. You should collect your weekly timesheet from the Teaching Manager (DOS) on a Monday. It is your responsibility to complete and hand your timesheet back to the DOS on a Friday. Your DOS will then submit your timesheet to International Quest’s Head Office. Your payslip will be produced on the following Friday and posted to the address you provided on your employee details form. Your wages will be credited to your bank account on the following Tuesday. (Please note: that your FIRST pay claim will take roughly 11 days to process from the end of your first week of work due to initial payment setup procedures).

I am self-employed, is it possible for me to be invoiced for the work I do?No, all of our employees must go through PAYE.

Do I receive holiday pay?Yes, statutory holiday pay is included in the salary each week.

I am a student in full time education. Will I be taxed?From 2013 the government abolished student tax categories. Now, all taxation is based on income.

Do I get paid for attending inductions/training days?Yes, you will be paid for attending an induction/training day. Further details will follow when we confirm the induction/training day date.

Does International Quest pay travel expenses while I’m working at my centre?We do not cover travel expenses.

What deductions will there be on my pay?You must return all teaching materials, International Quest lanyards and any university campus passes to your Teaching Manager. Failure to do this may result in a delay in your wages and may result in a deduction being made from your final payment.

If you have any further questions that have not been answered here, please contact Greg at academic@internationalquest.co.uk

International Quest Ltd.3 Trinity,161 Old Christchurch Road,Bournemouth,Dorset,BH1 1JU,United Kingdom

Website: www.internationalquest.co.ukEmail: jobs@internationalquest.co.ukTel: +44 (0)1202 296868Fax: +44 (0)1202 298836