About this practicum

Plan, teach, and reflect on a lesson in which you showcase learning strategies, teaching techniques, and corrective feedback that demonstrate your mastery of the Color Vowel® Approach.

  • What is the Teaching Practicum?

    This supervised Teaching Practicum is the capstone experience for teachers ready to complete their Color Vowel® Level 2 certification. The Practicum is a rigorous course based on specific performance standards that have been established in the interest of the teacher, their learners, and Color Vowel/ELTS.

    Successful candidates will be awarded Color Vowel® Level 2 certification upon completion of the Teaching Practicum.

  • Who is eligible for the Teaching Practicum?

    Prerequisites for the Level 2 Practicum include:

    • Level 1 Color Vowel certification
    • Successful completion of all Level 2 Core courses
    • Successful completion of 3 or more Level 2 electives
    • Successful completion of the Level 2 Coaching Practicum.

    Teaching Practicum candidates must currently be teaching (online or in person) in order to participate in the Teaching Practicum, and they must be prepared to acquire permission from their students and/or their institution to provide Color Vowel/ELTS with video-recorded lessons that show teacher-student interaction.

  • Can you retake the Practicum?

    Participating in the Level 2 Teaching Practicum does not guarantee a Level 2 certificate award. Candidates determined to be in need of additional time and/or training will receive a detailed referral from the Practicum Review Committee and will be invited to register in and participate in a future Teaching Practicum event.

Meeting dates and times
(Fall Session)

No class the week of November 21-26 due to the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

  • Week of October 24th - Week 1 Live Session - Orientation

  • Week of October 31st - Week 2 Live Session

  • Week of November 7th - Week 3 Live Session

  • Week of November 14th - Week 4 Live Session

  • Following sessions by appointment

Practicum Advisors

Karen Taylor

Director, ELTS

Karen Taylor co-founded ELTS in 2011 in response to a popular demand for the Color Vowel® Chart, a teaching tool she created in 1999. She holds an MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a BA in English Literature from Georgetown University, as well as an International Baccalaureate from the United World College (US campus). A former Fulbright TEFL Specialist, Karen was the Practitioner in Residence at American University for nine years. She received Ed Tech’s 2020 Visionary Leader award for her work as Head of Education at Blue Canoe Learning Inc.

Shirley Thompson

ELTS Executive Advisor

Shirley Thompson is co-author of the Color Vowel® Chart and Executive Advisor to ELTS. Shirley holds a Master in Linguistics from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Arts in History and African Studies from Kalamazoo College. She began her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa, serving in Bénin and Togo. Shirley taught for 25 years at the George Washington University and served as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in Senegal. She founded the ESL program at All Souls Church in Washington DC. She enjoys painting with watercolors and acrylics.

Jennifer Campion

Color Vowel® Master Trainer

Jennifer Campion began teaching English over 35 years ago as a Peace Corps Volunteer and subsequently as an observer and trainer in Morocco. After returning to the U.S., Jennifer worked as a documentation specialist for a civil engineering firm and for NASA’s Office of Space Flight. She returned to ESL instruction in 2003 as an adjunct in the American Culture and Language Institute at Northern Virginia Community College. Inspired after attending a 3-day Color Vowel phonology retreat in 2016, Jennifer became a Color Vowel Trainer in 2018. She now works as Business Manager at ELTS. Jennifer holds a B.A. in French from Lynchburg College and an M.A. in TESOL from American University.