What our documentary is about
Each year, thousands of young people all around the world leave the safety and security of their families to pursue their dreams of becoming English Language Teachers.
We at ELT-Essence are familiar with this thrill of excitement. Our entire team is composed of people who have left their homes, seeking the adventure of teaching English in a foreign land. Some of us never even had the privilege of being trained properly.
There are now centres all around the world which offer ELT training courses. Centres which Help bring people from radically different backgrounds together, all dedicated to the same goal.
The documentary is set in one of these training centres and follows two enthusiastic participants. We witness them struggle mentally to process the teaching methods; endure the physical exhaustion of late night lesson planning; experience the emotional fears of failure, and joys of success. All in all providing an authentic portrayal of the challenges associated with being an ELT teacher.
We also have a clear educational objective; highlighting the skills of effective teaching. Skills such as: clarity of instructions, checking understanding, engaging and motivating learners, setting clear tasks etc. These are important life skills that are relevant to anyone’s personal development.
Why we're making an ELT documentary
‘When are you going to get a real job?’
The view that TEFL is something you do for travel, adventure and life experience before settling down to a more established career persists.
One aim of this documentary is to portray the training of an EFL teacher for the challenging and emotional roller coaster that it is. In each episode we empathise with the young participants from different cultures and social backgrounds as they embark on their rigorous training voyage that challenges them mentally, physically and emotionally as they develop skills to fulfill their dreams of becoming English Language Teachers.
TEFL training courses have existed all over the world for decades but there has never been a documentary showing what it is like to train on a course.
A subsidiary motivation is to stimulate discussion and professional development thereby contributing to the raising of teaching standards. Through global distribution of the documentary series we intend to galvanise the support of the TEFL community and encourage professional teacher development.
Our Vision
The documentary is the only one ever produced which depicts the experience of taking part in a TEFL training course.
For over 40 years, TEFL training courses have been offered worldwide with over 20,000 graduates per year. Yet, despite being the gate keeper to the world of TEFL, there has never been a movie showing what it is like to do this course.
ELT Essence’s journey
Our supporters
