Shaping confident educators: English for Asia’s partnership with Trinity College London

Founded in Hong Kong in 1997, English for Asia (EfA) is a teacher-run organization dedicated to enhancing English proficiency and improving English language teaching standards across the Asia-Pacific region.

As the largest provider of Trinity College TESOL courses outside Europe, EfA has been offering Trinity’s CertPT qualification since April 2022. We spoke with Managing Director, Adam Giles about why they have chosen to trust Trinity’s CertPT, along with other Trinity qualifications, to equip their students with the essential skills for success in their teaching careers. 

Specialised Training for Teaching Contexts Across Asia 

English for Asia aimed to offer an advanced qualification that allows for specialisation in key areas and tailored to the needs of local teaching contexts. "The CertPTs we’ve developed focus on specific market demands, particularly in areas such as developing soft skills through drama and teaching young learners. An important benefit of the CertPT is its accessibility to candidates with a B2 level of English, allowing us to support a more diverse group of educators." 

When selecting the specialisms to offer, English for Asia identified key focus areas, which Adam elaborated on, along with the rationale behind these choices: 

• Developing Soft Skills with Drama: ‘We selected this specialism in response to the growing focus on soft skills in the Chinese curriculum, especially as a way for teachers to adapt to the changing educational landscape shaped by the Double Reduction Policy.’ 

• Preparing Learners for GESE: ‘Given the large number of Trinity GESE exams we administer annually, and our collaboration with teachers who prepare learners for these exams, this specialism is a natural progression for those who want to deepen their expertise in this area.’ 

• Teaching Young Learners: ‘Many of our Trinity CertTESOL graduates move on to teach young learners. This specialism was chosen to address the demand for further skills development in this area, as well as the overall market need for qualified teachers adept at working with young learners.’ 

English for Asia’s core mission is to create opportunities for both learners and educational institutions by creating supportive, developmental environments that encourage growth and professional development. In line with this mission, Trinity’s CertPT qualification serves as an ideal tool to help realise these goals, offering teachers the opportunity to enhance their skills and expertise.

By providing a qualification that is both accessible and relevant to the evolving needs of educators in the region, EfA can empower teachers and support schools in delivering high-quality education. Trinity’s CertPT not only aligns with EfA’s commitment to professional development but also plays a key role in shaping more effective and confident educators across Asia. 

English for Asia welcomes candidates from a broad range of educational backgrounds, but are predominantly teachers from the following sectors: 

• Language Centres
• Public Kindergarten and Primary School
• International School
• Private Tutors

“The versatility of the CertPT specialisations allows it to be adapted to a wide range of teaching contexts, which makes it a valuable qualification across different educational settings. This adaptability is something we see as a model for future qualifications, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of educators and learners alike.” 

How Trinity’s CertPT uses flexibility to create opportunities 

One of Trinty’s commitments that we share with English for Asia is creating opportunities for both learners and teachers. Part of how we achieve that is through the flexibility of our qualifications. One of the key advantages of the CertPT qualification is that it is delivered entirely online, which makes it accessible to teachers across a wide range of regions, enabling educators from all corners of the Asia-Pacific region to participate. Further to this the flexibility of the course, allows teachers to study in their own time and allow the qualification to fit around their existing professional and personal commitments, ensuring that more teachers have the opportunity to enhance their professional skills. 

The success of English for Asia in implementing Trinity’s CertPT is reflected in the positive feedback and experiences shared by their students, highlighting the impact the qualification has had on their professional development and teaching careers. 

“The CertPT course provided by English for Asia is both practical and academic. Throughout the course, I gained valuable knowledge in modern teaching techniques and observed various teaching cases that have significantly contributed to my growth as a teacher. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their teaching practice.” – Michael Sun, CertPT Teaching Young Learners 

“It was great pleasure for me to take a Trinity CertPT course with English for Asia! The course is well structured and easy to follow. The materials are comprehensive and interesting. I was totally engaged with my learning and have acquired new skills which I find very useful.” – Olga Vasileva, Cert PT Developing Soft Skills with Drama 

If you would like to follow in these teachers’ footsteps and take the next step in your teaching career, English for Asia can help you get there. Visit their website today to find out how you can create more opportunities for yourself and improve outcomes in your classroom.