Establish your English proficiency

As a condition of eligibility for registration as a teacher with the Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory, all applicants must satisfy the Board that they have a level of English language proficiency which enables them to communicate in English in both the spoken and written form, at a professional level, with students, parents, colleagues, and other educational professionals.

The Board's English language requirement applies to all applicants for teacher registration, with the following exemptions:

1. Graduates from pre-service teacher education programs from Australian tertiary institutions;
2. Graduates from pre-service teacher education programs from the following countries: English-speaking Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), and United States of America.

Applicants who do not qualify under the above exemption list are required to sit for one of the English language tests approved by the Board. The tests are the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the International Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ISLPR) and the Professional English Assessment for Teachers (PEAT).

In IELTS a score of 7 indicates a Good User who has operational command of the language and generally handles complex language well and understands detailed reasoning. The Board requires that the applicant be awarded 7 or higher in each of the academic modules of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

In ISLPR a score of 4 means Vocational Proficiency - can use English fluently and accurately on all levels - personal, social, and in situations pertinent to their own 'vocational' fields. The Board requires that the applicant be awarded 4 or higher in each of the macroskills of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

In PEAT, Band A means that a candidate's English proficiency is of a standard which would enable the candidate to teach and interact effectively and confidently in a school setting. The Board requires a test result of Band A in all four components of Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. PEAT is the property of the New South Wales Department of School Education and is administered by the Institute of Languages, the University of New South Wales.

The Board will accept the results of a Board approved language proficiency test (academic modules) undertaken by the applicant within 12 months from the date the Teacher Registration Board receives the application.

Any costs associated with the English language tests will be the responsibility of the applicants.

IELTS tests are administered at centres in over 110 countries. A full list of centres is available on the IELTS website at www.ielts.org. Most centres conduct a testing session at least once a month. Results are available within two weeks of the test.

To sit the IELTS test in the Northern Territory applicants can contact:

Susana Lu-Dizon
AU 120 - IELTS Administrator
Centre for Access and ESL
Charles Darwin University
Darwin NT 0909
AUSTRALIA

t: 61-8-8946 6878
f: 61-8-8946 7144
e: susana.lu-dizon@cdu.edu.au
w: www.cdu.edu.au