A Global Opportunity for Teachers: Master Speaking Skills with Trinity’s CertPT

Teaching Speaking" is a newly launched course by Trinity College London Italy, designed to support secondary and freelance teachers in building confidence and fluency in the classroom. The course also prepares educators to guide their learners toward achieving the Certificate for Practising Teachers (CertPT). We spoke with Academic Director Manuela Kelly Socks to explore the inspiration behind the course and why Trinity’s CertPT was the ideal qualification to offer.

Why did you choose to offer Trinity’s CertPT qualification?

We chose Trinity’s CertPT to fill a crucial gap in professional development for in-service language teachers. Many existing qualifications are either designed for pre-service teachers or require advanced diploma-level credentials, leaving experienced practitioners with limited CPD options. CertPT offers a structured yet flexible way for teachers—especially in the Italian context—to refine their skills and gain formal recognition for their expertise in English language teaching.

How did you choose the specialism(s) that you are running?

Our specialism was chosen to address a key challenge in English language teaching in Italy: the underdevelopment of speaking skills. While receptive skills like reading, listening, and writing are widely practiced, speaking often receives less attention, leading to communication anxiety and limited opportunities for real-life language use. By focusing on this gap, we aim to equip teachers with strategies that help students gain confidence and fluency in spoken English, both inside and outside the classroom.

How long have you been providing this qualification?

We are currently in the early stages of delivering the CertPT, following a carefully planned soft launch. This academic year marks our first cohort, and we are focusing on building a strong foundation for future growth. As we progress, we look forward to seeing how teachers integrate their learning into their classrooms and the impact this qualification has on their professional development.

How does the CertPT align with your school’s ethos and other aspects of teacher training that you provide?

Trinity’s CertPT aligns closely with our commitment to high-quality, reflective, and context-sensitive teacher development. It goes beyond traditional training models by focusing on material development, practical classroom strategies, and professional reflection. This makes it an excellent complement to our existing training initiatives, as it encourages teachers to adapt best practices to their own teaching contexts while fostering continuous professional growth.

What does a typical student doing this course look like?

Our participants come from a wide range of teaching backgrounds. Some are early-career teachers with around two years of experience, while others have been teaching for decades. Most are in-service teachers looking to refine their skills and gain formal recognition, though we also welcome a small number of pre-service teachers. What unites them is their commitment to professional development and their goal of helping students become more confident and effective communicators in English.

How have you measured success so far?

As this is our first year delivering the course, we are still gathering initial insights. While we don’t yet have full quantitative data, early feedback suggests that participants are engaging deeply with the course content and applying new strategies in their classrooms. Moving forward, we will implement structured feedback mechanisms to track long-term impact, measuring success through participant reflections, classroom implementation, and student outcomes.

Our first cohort is still in progress, but we are already seeing promising engagement. Teachers are actively experimenting with course concepts in their classrooms, making strategic changes to encourage more communicative learning environments. Some participants have even expressed interest in pursuing further professional development opportunities after the CertPT, showing the course’s potential to inspire lasting pedagogical growth. We anticipate more detailed success stories as the course continues.

What does the future look like for the CertPT and qualifications like it?

The CertPT is shaping the future of professional development by offering in-service teachers structured, internationally recognised training that aligns with modern educational policies. Its emphasis on practical application, contextualised learning, and reflective practice makes it a valuable addition to the landscape of teacher qualifications. As continuous professional development gains more recognition, we see qualifications like the CertPT playing a key role in supporting teachers at every stage of their careers.

"Teaching Speaking" is open to educators worldwide and offers a valuable opportunity to develop the skills and confidence needed to elevate your teaching practice.

Whether you're looking to advance your career or make a greater impact in the classroom, Trinity’s CertPT can help you take that next step.

Discover how our collaboration can support you in meeting the needs of today’s English language learners and visit our website to learn more.