Preparatory Materials for EFL/ESL Teacher Professional Exams

As a teacher who successfully passed the Professional Exam and moderator of a dynamic Facebook group for EFL/ESL teaching materials, I have received many requests for any helpful resources teachers can go over in their preparation for this exam.

It goes without saying that your final grade in the Professional Exam, at least in the Moroccan context, is governed and determined by different variables: your supervisor and principal’s assigned grades, your actual performance in the exam, the quota (13 %), and the grader’s attitude. As such, if it happens that you do not pass, that should not undermine your confidence as a teacher. Never! As long as you have a good background in EFL teaching, other issues should not concern you that much.

At the level of theory, you should be familiar with common terminology in different teaching skills and aspects (i.e., vocabulary, listening, reading, speaking, functions, grammar, etc), be able to define or explain it, and be able to demonstrate it through example activities. In other words, if you, for instance, happen to encounter “teachability” on your exam paper, you are supposed to know what it means as one of the vocabulary selection criteria, give examples of “teachable” words, and justify your answer if you are asked to.

In this post, we will suggest interesting resources that will help you brush up on your EFL/ESL pedagogical knowledge and help you prepare well for the Professional Exam.

The first book we think you MUST pore over as you prepare for the Professional Exam is “ESOL Teaching Skills TaskBook”. I can safely say that many Professional Exam tasks are adapted from such books. If there are any similar task books, try to check them. They may help you. “ESOL Teaching Skills TaskBook” is a very interesting book, indeed. You do not feel passive as you read it. For every teaching aspect, there are different tasks to do and reflect on. I assure you that the book will familiarize you with the nature of the tasks that EFL/ESL Professional Exams include. What I also like about the book is that it is quite exhaustive as it covers almost all threshold and advanced teaching skills. For instance, it includes tasks on:

1. Patterns of interaction:
2. Group dynamics;
3. Teacher roles;
4. Learning styles;
5. Lesson planning;
6. Questioning techniques;
7. Learning activities;
8. Drilling techniques;
9. Error correction;
10. Listening skills and subskills;
11. Reading skills, subskills, and strategies;
12. Speaking skills and subskills;
13. Writing skills;
14. Pronunciation;
15. Vocabulary;
16. Grammar;
17. Functions;
18. Using songs, videos, games, and drama activities;
19. And more….

However, the task book does not include tasks on teaching aspects/skills like:

1. Assessment;
2. Error correction techniques;
3. Vocabulary teaching selection criteria;
4. Bloom’s taxonomy;
5. Multiple Intelligence Theory;
6. Teaching Frameworks;
7. Classroom management;
8. Abraham Maslow’s Pyramid;
9. Civic education;
10. 21^st century/soft skills;
11. Aims, goals, and objectives in curriculum development and lesson planning;

The good news here is that you do not have to read books, booklets, or even articles on each of the latter teaching aspects. You can only go to the SlideShare platform and download detailed presentations on those teaching areas. I am sure they will walk you through all the details, nuances, and definitions you need to know. It should be noted that SlideShare presentations are no longer free, but there is a website that can help you download them.

The other well-selected, helpful books, booklets, and articles we think you must also consult are:  

2. Book: Understanding Language Teaching from Method to Post-method (Kumaravadivelo, 2006)

3. Booklet: Teaching Listening and Speaking from Theory to Practice (Richards)

4. Lucy’s Pollard’s Guide to English Teaching (Pollard, 2008): A really interesting and concise 72-page book that covers a wide range of teaching skills.

5. Article: 30 Years of TEFL/TESL: A Personal Perspective (Richards, 2002)

6. Article: A Journey into the Last Thirty Years of ELT in Morocco (Mellouk)

7. Booklet: Summary of the Strategic Vision 2015-2030, English Version (Morocco)

8. Booklet: English Language guidelines For Middle and Secondary Schools in Morocco.

Concerning the other part of the exam which tests your familiarity with updates in the Moroccan educational system and some pedagogy in Arabic, I think you do not have to pore over teaching methods and all that stuff again in Arabic just like you did with English resources. I never did that!  However, if you want to read any relevant documents in this regard, you can consult Gharib’s Book: مستجدات التربية والتعليم or Khathif’s Booklet: ما قل و دل في التربية. Try also to read this booklet or this presentation to have an idea about المواكبة التربوية للمشاريع الشخصية للمتعلمين و المتعلمات.

What I personally did was that I scrutinized the discourse used in ministerial notes, communiqués and publications. That is, when you read any materials in this regard, try to jot down any specific terminology, expressions, quotes, and words (even linking words can help if your Arabic is not that good) in addition to any interesting information you stumble upon. It is true that a number of tasks in this part of the exam depend on the given reading passage, but you are required to elaborate on some of your answers, calling on must-read official documents like the Framework Law 51-17, the Strategic Vision, and the National Charter for Education and Training.

GOOD LUCK!

Your feedback in the comment section below 👇 is highly appreciated! Thank you 😊