Our history

The vision

The idea for a TEFL teacher training centre began in the summer of 1993 when a team of English teachers ran a two-week English language camp in Hungary. During this camp, members of the team recognised the need for a centre where Christians could be trained to teach much-needed English language skills and build bridges of friendship. Over the next eighteen months the vision took shape.

The beginning

Back in England, contact was made with Christian TESOL professionals equipped to set up the centre and recognition was obtained through Trinity College London. (This is one of the two British examining boards whose short, intensive TESOL training courses are recognised and respected worldwide). In January 1995 the first 5-week course was launched.

The training

Since then, International Training Network has run more than eighty intensive 5-week courses, and close to 1,000 trainees have been awarded the Trinity College London CertTESOL - a prestigious, accredited TESOL certificate. More recently, this certificate course has also been run in modular format, with a distance learning component. Many other trainees have attended a 1-week Introductory or 'Classroom experience' course.

We regularly receive news from former trainees, now teaching English in Britain and across the world, telling stories of lives that are being touched and changed through their ministry.

Launch of the online courses

In 2005, in response to the increasing availability of the internet, we started to develop online TESOL training, and the first course was launched the following year. Our range of online courses has proved highly successful in providing access to training for many people for whom a face-to-face course is not a viable option.

Trainees in more than 30 countries have completed the online courses, including countries where the internet connection can be less reliable, such as Burkina Faso, Mongolia and Uganda.

Training for all

We have developed close links with many mission agencies, bible colleges, churches and other Christian networks and we provide advice and specialised TESOL training workshops and taster sessions when required.

Many trainees from the above organisations enrol on our on-site and online courses. In addition, we have responded to requests to provide specially devised TESOL training, including courses for:

an American mission agency which places workers on short-term assignments overseas
the Senior Volunteer Network (an association of Christian school teachers)
a church team preparing to run an English language camp overseas
a church whose volunteers required help and training for their English teaching outreach programme

CONTACT US to receive an information and application pack for any course, or if you have any questions.

"I have found that the training I received at ITN to be so helpful in all the other teaching I do....The course content has been proven over years of careful scrutiny to be just the right mix of support and challenge to start an ESOL teacher on the job...

The tutors at International Training Network love their job and show it in their delivery and enthusiasm. They made us feel like we were the only people that mattered to them while we were there".

George Booth, Former National Director, Operation Mobilisation, New Zealand