Many people begin English-language teacher training with exactly this problem — particularly fluent and first-language English speakers. You can use the language confidently, but terms such as auxiliary, aspect, participle, complement or determiner may be unfamiliar.
This practical refresher introduces the essential grammar and language awareness you’ll need as you begin thinking about English from a teacher’s perspective. It covers the basics — no more and no less — helping you recognise how sentences are constructed, understand key grammatical terminology and begin analysing the choices speakers make when they use English.
You’ll work through explanations, examples, activities and knowledge checks covering sentence structure, word classes, nouns and pronouns, verbs, tense and aspect, active and passive voice, adjectives, adverbs and more.
The aim isn’t to turn you into a grammarian. It’s to give you enough understanding and confidence to start thinking about language like an English teacher.
English level B2+
Meet your tutor...
Thinking of being an English teacher? Preparing for English Teacher Training: What course to take? What jobs are out there?
Putting grammar in its place.
What is Language Awareness?
Diagnostic test: How prepared are you for the technical side of the online CELTA?
Common mistakes that speakers of English as another language make
The Simple English Sentence
Adjective, Subject, Verb, Adverb
Comprehension Check
Article, Modal Auxiliary Verb, Infinitive
Article, Primary Auxiliary Verb, Infinitive
Pronoun, Preposition
Comprehension Check
Preposition, Object Case
Noun Phrase, Preposition Phrase, Adverbial Phrase
Gerund (+ING form), Linking Verb, Subject Complement
Comprehension Check
What are Nouns?
Sort these Nouns
Activity Feedback
What are Pronouns?
Can you replace some of these nouns with pronouns to give the text a better flow without making it confusing?
Apply to Your Teaching
Concrete and Abstract Nouns
Activity: Define the mistake
Activity: Check your knowledge of these determiners and quantifiers
Apply to Your Teaching
Activity: Collective Nouns
-ING Form: The difference between a gerund and a participle and why it is a headache.
A quick recap then onward!
How we use verbs: states, events, past, present, future and progressive
A quick verb recap
How we use verbs: flexible forms for past and future
Noticing the perfect aspect
Contextualising the perfect aspect
Don't go all passive-aggressive on me!
Get, have, passives, actives, muddy paws and hamsters
How to identify an adverb
The different functions of adverbs
Let's identify the function of these adverbs
Identifying adjectives and their functions
1,206 students currently enrolled.
This is the freshest of grammar refresher courses. The gentle, quirky sense of humour pulls you in and makes you feel comfortable, like you're chilling at home with friends. The engaging and slightly twee creative approach grabs and holds your att...
Read MoreThis is the freshest of grammar refresher courses. The gentle, quirky sense of humour pulls you in and makes you feel comfortable, like you're chilling at home with friends. The engaging and slightly twee creative approach grabs and holds your attention and keeps you wondering what might be coming up next. The pace is just right and the sequencing of concepts gently builds that scaffolding you need as a learner teacher, or is that a teacher learner? Like with all animals in performance and presentation, Pronoun and Prefix sometimes threaten to steal the show, and not only because of their names but the endearing antics they get up to! Bring on those phrasal verbs!
Read LessI loved the opportunity of refreshing my grammar and this course is suitable for anybody. It's pleasant and well organized. Thank you Emma!!!
I loved the opportunity of refreshing my grammar and this course is suitable for anybody. It's pleasant and well organized. Thank you Emma!!!
Read LessGreatly enjoyed this informative short course, highly recommend to anyone who is starting their study of language or wants a refresher. Highlights include: amazing ideas for dog names that I will definitely not steal and gorgeous illustrations. -...
Read MoreGreatly enjoyed this informative short course, highly recommend to anyone who is starting their study of language or wants a refresher. Highlights include: amazing ideas for dog names that I will definitely not steal and gorgeous illustrations. - Australia
Read LessThat's totally amazing, relearning what you have already learned and yet you learned a lot this time.
That's totally amazing, relearning what you have already learned and yet you learned a lot this time.
Read LessThis really helped me improve my grammar ahead of taking the CELTA course.
This really helped me improve my grammar ahead of taking the CELTA course.
Read LessI’m using this as a little prep for the CELTA and it is introducing me to things I hadn’t even thought about. Love the way it is set up with the same characters. Good job ELT campus! - UK
I’m using this as a little prep for the CELTA and it is introducing me to things I hadn’t even thought about. Love the way it is set up with the same characters. Good job ELT campus! - UK
Read LessAt first I had the same urge to fidget as I did with Grammar books. That dread. "Let´s get this over and done with." The contrary. The illustration of Neil adds Humour. The explanations are concise. The quizzes...no longer a process of deduction. ...
Read MoreAt first I had the same urge to fidget as I did with Grammar books. That dread. "Let´s get this over and done with." The contrary. The illustration of Neil adds Humour. The explanations are concise. The quizzes...no longer a process of deduction. Thank you
Read LessThe perfect preparation for any 120 hour English teacher training course such as the CELTA. Trinity Cert TESOL or equivalent.
Free
£85.00
Emma Pratt is a PhD candidate at Massey University, New Zealand, and an experienced teacher educator with over 20 years’ experience working in international education contexts across the UK, Spain, and New Zealand. Her current teaching focuses on preparing learners for UK English examinations, while her earlier work includes teaching and assessing academic writing for IELTS and Cambridge English. She is particularly interested in helping educators understand how teaching can be aligned with established frameworks without losing their individuality. Alongside this, her broader pedagogical interests explore relational and reflective approaches to learning, including how classroom environments, attention, and wellbeing shape the learning experience. She brings a collaborative, practical approach to workshops, grounded in shared experience and open dialogue.
Emma runs Koekoeā Studio, a creative studio that includes workshops including The Drawing Room in Cambridge, UK, that focuses on reflective drawing, as well as teacher training. She also continues to teach ESOL and academic preparation courses.
Emma has been designing online learning courses since 2013 and was, with Jamie King, a finalist in the ELTons 2014 for Innovation in Teaching
