Too much of the video content was anectodes or asides that added very little.

I appreciate that we can learn from our peers but sometimes their evaluations are pointless. They correct grammar, vocabularies, and a lot more, not sticking to the opinions required, for what? Some are not even polite to give comments. I don't know what their goals are. i hope they can motivate their future language learners. I would appreciate it more if there's an expert checking the assignments and not some people who correct assignments subjectively.

The instructors are annoying and long winded about extremely simple concepts. The course is very easy. I completed within 4 or 5 hrs. I was able to jump straight to the quizzes without watching the videos.

The course takes common sense concepts and tries to turn them into scientific principles.

I would not refer anyone to this course. Although the content is well done, the tech piece of the course is sooooooo frustrating. At one point during the course I kept rating and rating my peersʻ assignments and the system would not accept it. I later found out there was some kind of tech issue. There was NO communication from Coursera whatsoever regarding this--no email, nothing to me or the class as a whole. So, we just had to keep checking and submitting ratings to see if it would finally be accepted. I find this bizarre, to say the least. Now, I am in the third course and the SAME thing is happening! I work full time, have a second job, go to school, raise two boys as a single parent and time is of the essence for me! I do not have time to waste! I keep wasting my time with tech issues. That is so disturbing. Somehow or another we should be kept abreast of tech platform problems. This is crazy.

Teaching style is too hokey and gimmicky to learn anything substantive. I could put up with it until the assignments, which are graded by other learners. In a class that tells you to be an effective teacher, half of the learners leave unconstructive feedback like, "You're wrong," without explaining what mistake they think you made. The other half of learners leave negative feedback just because they disagree with your opinion, failing to grasp the concept of grading you based on the cohesiveness of the argument. There are also a lot of non-native speakers of English "correcting" native speakers even though they are factually wrong on their "correction," which they also give with a ridiculous amount of ignorant arrogance. It's disturbing to think they are going to go out and teach English incorrectly to others after this course. This course borders on irresponsible and I withdrew.

This is the worts course I have ever taken!!!! I need to wait for other people to grade my work so that I can officially finish my course, how long do I have to wait? No one knows !!! And when there is no assignments for me to grade you dont mark it as completed and AGAIN I can not finish the course even if I finish all the lessons BECOUSE I HAVE TO WAİT FOR OTHER STUDENTS TO GRADE MY ASSINGMENTS. What is the logic behind it I need to get my certificate as soon as possible but right now I dont even know how lon it will take to finish the course that I already finished. I was planning on takin more courses from coursere but I changed my mind after this meaningless issue. What if no one will grade it do I have to wait for years ??????

I can't seem to find a way to unenroll in this course.

This is my 2nd TESOL certification. I did a previous certification in 2018 and have been teaching ESL ever since. I have been pleasantly surprised by how DETAILED this course is. I feel like my first TESOL certification wasn't really that great and provides very little to no support. Much of what I have had to learn since my first TESOL certification has been things I have had to learn independently (through other teachers or youtube!) I feel like this one course alone (out of eight!) really does a fantastic job focusing on a lot of the finite details that ESL teachers SHOULD be focusing on. There are far too many companies out their pushing certifications to sell for profit and just pushing out as many ESL teachers without a care that they will fail. I found that while most of the information I learned in this course was material that I already knew (from my own experience) it is truly the backbone and foundation of what ESL teachers need. I was extremely happy they addressed teacher burnout - especially for ESL teachers. Too many times people think my job is super easy, when it is not! I look forward to continuing the whole certification. My only issue I found with this first course is the peer reviews. Most people didn't seem to take them seriously and either didn't comment or just left random letters as a response. I tried to provide detailed feedback to many of my peers. I realize, a lot of students taking this course are from non-native English speaking countries, but it is important that if English is not your first language and you want to be an ESL teacher, you have got to work on giving feedback - especially in English. And make sure you understand the questions! Several of the questions ask for you to provide responses based on the lesson OR your own personal experience. There were several responses I received that did not seem to even understand the question, let alone my responses. I don't think this should have an effect on my rating on this course though. I do think the information presented was great, I like that I had to give responses to questions so it wasn't just watching a video and picking multiple choice and it was also great reading other submissions and points of views from other students, some of who are also teachers in the USA or other countries! I look forward to the next course and to finish this whole certification!

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible TESOL course I had the privilege of taking at Arizona State University.

Your dedication and expertise in teaching this course made a profound impact on my learning journey. The knowledge and skills I gained throughout the course have not only enriched my understanding of English language teaching but have also opened up new opportunities for me in my career.

Your passion for TESOL and your commitment to your students were truly inspiring. The course content was not only informative but also engaging and practical, which made the learning experience enjoyable and highly valuable.

I also want to extend my gratitude to the entire support team at Arizona State University for their assistance and resources that were made available to us during the course. The collaborative and nurturing learning environment that your institution provides is truly commendable.

I am excited to apply what I've learned in the TESOL course to my future endeavors in the field of English language teaching. Your guidance has been instrumental in shaping my professional journey, and I feel well-prepared to make a positive impact on the lives of English language learners.

Once again, thank you for your dedication, expertise, and unwavering support throughout the course. I feel fortunate to have been a part of such a wonderful learning experience at Arizona State University.

I highly recommend this course for those who wish to learn and teach English as a Second Language. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be in this program where I have learned a great deal right from the very beginning of this course up to the last discussion of the topic... that I couldn't help but finished the course earlier than the usual scheduled date... and that I have to rate this course TEN (from 1-10 where ten is the highest). It was such a nice experience to learn something new, or even if some aspects I learned it before but I have gained a tremendous, in-depth knowledge and solid foundation about this course: like the use of metaphors, the Grasser's theory of intrinsic motivation, the Vygostky's scaffolding, Body Language and the teachers talk, the i+1 learning, the 80/20 rule, the diffuse mode and focused mode of learning and more!. And one thing that I really enjoyed more was the assumptions or the essential questions in the assignment which involved critical thinking. Thank you so much for this course, and to all the staff who created this language learning website, to the staff behind the scene and especially to Dr. Shane Dixon thank you for generously sharing your knowledge and expertise on this field. I salute you! Very impressive!!! Thank you!

Completing Coursera's Teach English Now! Foundational Principles was an incredibly enriching experience. This course is a fantastic entry point for anyone looking to develop a strong foundation in teaching English as a second language. The content is thoughtfully organized and covers essential teaching methodologies, lesson planning, and classroom management strategies, which are especially useful for new or aspiring ESL instructors. The instructors do a great job of explaining both the "why" and "how" behind effective teaching practices, with real-world examples and interactive activities that make each lesson relatable and memorable. I appreciated the focus on creating engaging and student-centered lessons, as well as the practical insights into understanding learner needs and cultural considerations. The assignments encouraged creativity and reflection, giving me a chance to put theory into practice, which helped reinforce my learning. Overall, I would highly recommend Teach English Now! Foundational Principles to anyone interested in TESOL. It’s an inspiring, practical, and well-paced course that leaves you with the confidence to step into the classroom and teach with purpose and empathy.

Teachers should be aware of the basic language learning the understanding of basic techniques on how to make the meaning clear, how to help motivate students by improving teacher's talk, scaffolding and body talk. I like the use of metaphors all over the modules. New theories of learning like Vygotsky and Krashen of leaning zones and Glasser of intrinsic motivation. Teachers talk strategies of focusing on meaning using signpost expressions I learned a lot about acquisition versus learning and the two different modes of the focused and diffuse mode. I learned how to create and change the environment of learning. It was a good idea to talk about language as a stage with a relation of self-awareness and the affective filter . Good language learners of predicting using selective attention prepare, look ridiculous, practice, ask the question, take notes. learners need not just to learn, but how to learn. We faced the problem of time learning at schools. The importance of the role of teachers to empower students to go outside to the global community supported by successful teachers.The best expression for me when teachers represent the candle to enlight the learner's way.

Hi I am Charle Magne I am currently taking my Masters in Education major in General Education, I want to expressed my gratitude to this organization Arizona State University and Coursera for giving me the oppurtunity to have this amazing experience, truly I gain valuable knowledge,I learned about fundamentals in teaching language, techniques and principles which is really useful in my carrer , I just want to thank all of our teachers who invest a lot of efforts to teach us we really appreciate all your hardworks also I want to thank my virtual classmates for giving me honest feedback and to all the people whose been part of this organization,sending you a virtual hug to all of you guys

This oppurtunities increase my interest to do the best of my capabilities to apply and advance my skills in this course Teach English Now! Foundational Principles this has been a great organization plus you will be surrounded with positive healthy minded people who always strived for excellence.

Thank you, Arizona State University for the opportunity to be taught and assessed by experts. I've always wanted to be a better teacher and you walked me through it. This is the toughest and boldest move yet, and you definitely motivated me to do more! The experience was deeply enriching. Now, everything I do in my classroom is both strategic and purposeful.

I don't spend money on anything that does not help me REALLY grow intellectually and professionally and I have to say this course gave the best value so far. The balance between content and pedagogy is evident from the course design, the delivery of instruction, till assessment and evaluation. You taught the principles, strategies, and approaches creatively by example and made the whole course research-based, interactive, technology-enriched, and outcomes-based. Definitely no boring lectures. I had so much fun learning . I appreciate the firmness in stressing the importance of academic integrity, too!

I truly enjoyed this course. I learned a lot and it helped me understand the importance of techniques, student input, establishing a positive relationship,, and the importance of forming an autonomous learner. I liked the way the material was organized, it helped me understand better how language theories have evolved and how it's important to keep up with language theories and practices. The role of technology in language learning finally made a lot of sense! It really is a wonderful tool for both teacher and student. I hope to learn more about the resources offered by on line language publishers and educators. I would like to know more about using technology to enhance my teaching and how I can apply these tools to my daily teaching and planning. This course is really a gem. It's inspiring and very applicable to learning how to perform at your best as a language teacher. I look forward to the next course. Thank you all. Cristina Stern

Wow, I learned so much in this course. I was able to apply what I was learning every week to my teaching, and I am telling you every week I was seeing instant positive results in my classes by applying what I learned in this course. Freaking amazing, I was drowning so to speak up until I found this course because I was teaching but I didn't really know how to teach, but when you're abroad, the opportunity to teach is so available, people will hire you without much experience at all, but I found myself wanting to give more to my students than just a warm body in the room. I wanted to make it fun and interesting for them, and I wanted them to actually learn stuff too. I didn't quite know how to go about it, I didn't know which techniques were good and/or bad. This course, in a nutshell, taught me all of that and more. Great stuff, best money spent this year. So worth the money, seeing how much I got back from it immediately.

My profession as a project manager always makes me think about the project, "Management", "Structure", "Order", what is right and what is wrong, the Course is Beautiful, it takes you by the hand from lesson to lesson, in the understanding of very important and relevant topics of English language teaching. I did not like the pyramid as a resource for taxonomy, it takes away space to express the content in a more adequate way and more clearly in the tip. I would choose a colored rectangle or organization chart. The complete PDF material of each module with the lessons was not delivered again, When it comes to fundamentals, a total list of fundamentals is not concluded in the Final part of the course. The "glossary" of words was not delivered again, it is an excellent resource, thank you. With all due respect, it is necessary to structure a little more details, but it is an excellent job, I enjoyed it a lot. Congratulations.

This has been the best class I have ever taken where I actually learned. I was able to feel what I learned in my head and body, and I was able to discribe what I leaned with clarity to my friends who were not even taking this class. Dr. Shane Dixon and Andrea Haraway were amazing. Dr. Shewell productions were also amazing.

My whole life going to school, my mission was to only get straight A's (which I did), I worked so hard, I never practiced what I learned, so I never learned anything.

Here, I applied everything I learned. I actually practiced "focused and diffused mode" of learning with my studying. Most of the time I passed my assessments with 100% and sometimes I passed with 80%, but those were the classes/sections I learned the most in and where I was able to visualize what I learned.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you 100%

This course is AMAZING!!! Dr. (but I think of him as Professor) Shane Dixon completely changed my perception of online courses - which I (given a couple previous experiences) assumed to be universally boring and impersonal. He makes each lesson exciting, engaging, easy to learn, relevant - and very much memorable. He uses video, images, storytelling, body language, all sorts of aids to get his points across and to make ideas stick in your mind. Frankly, he makes classes FUN, instead of a chore. Shane quickly becomes your favorite teacher, one that you would love to grab lunch with and have long discussions. My goal in taking this class is to eventually become a teacher; if I can become 1/3 as good as he is, I'll consider myself lucky! Thank you so much Shane, for teaching us how to be great teachers with your own example.

Dear Professor, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional teaching during [name of the course]. Your enthusiasm for the subject and your dedication to your students have truly made a positive impact on my learning journey. Your expertise and guidance have not only enriched my understanding of the material but have also inspired me to explore new horizons. I am sincerely thankful for the time and effort you have invested in helping me grow both academically and personally. Thank you for being such an incredible mentor and for making a difference in my education. Your passion for teaching is truly commendable, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from someone as remarkable as you. With warmest regards, Mihaela-Silvia Surugiu

As a teacher, I am truly grateful to the creators of this course for the incredible effort they have put into developing such an enriching learning experience. Information was presented in an engaging and comprehensible manner, making the learning process enjoyable.

I want to express my appreciation for the thoughtful inclusion of important topics that are often overlooked in our community: burnout, student motivation, teaching philosophy. I believe these are crucial aspects of our profession that deserve more attention, and I'm grateful that this course has given them the prominence they deserve.

I feel better equipped to face the challenges of teaching with renewed enthusiasm and a deeper understanding of what truly matters in education. I am really appreciative of the value you have added to my teaching journey!

Great introduction to the foundations of language learning and teaching. If you apply yourself in the course, you will gain a lot out of it! (Use the learning strategies presented!) Taking notes and putting thought into the written assignments is worth it. I finished the course quickly, and am walking away with a number of valuable insights. I'm really looking forward to the second course. The only thing I would improve is that I'd like to see other students put more effort into their peer reviewed assignments. Sometimes it seems like people just write whatever is on their mind and they don't support their opinions with course materials. When students use course concepts to support their opinions, I have really appreciated their perspective and efforts to use what they learn to form answers to the questions.

This course is presented very well. The team put together an effective presentation, in my opinion, of important techniques for teaching language. In addition to presenting the facts, the entire course serves as an example of the techniques taught in the class. The material was clear, thorough, and important. I enjoyed the videos and had no problem with the assignments; in addition, the peer reviews were very informative and provided other perspectives from students in many parts of the world. This was my favorite assignment because I liked learning from others, but it also highlights the importance of taking this class! What better example for the purpose of TESOL than to be able to communicate with others in the world! I'm encouraged to continue the program and feel great about the accomplishment.

This was a very refreshing and useful course online for me since I am an immunocompromised person and I have forgotten my core in why I teach English , plus I have dialysis every other day in a week. When I was taking the course, I was not able to set up a goal to when I would finish this course, because I started it last month of last year then pick it up again this year. There were a lot of reasons I had to stop, because we had to move to a new place then a typhoon hit our country. And it was not a easy at all since we lost electricity for a month. This opportunity has given me the insight of how and why we teach English. And somehow I understand now the principles behind teaching English or a language. Thank you for giving me this chance to take part of the knowledge you are sharing online. Godspeed!