Align Coaching in Teaching English with ICF Standards

While our commitment to both English language teaching (ELT) and coaching in teaching English, we understand the critical importance of equipping learners with the necessary skills to communicate effectively in the global marketplace. One area that has gained significant attention is coaching in the English language. This powerful tool helps individuals achieve their goals, improve performance, and enhance personal growth. As such, in this blog post we will explore the concept of coaching in the English language. We’ll look at how it aligns with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) standards.

What is Coaching in the English Language?

Coaching in teaching English is a collaborative process between a coach and a client, as in any coaching. The coach provides support, guidance, and feedback to help the client achieve their goals. In the context of ELT, coaching can take many forms, including language coaching, business coaching, and life coaching. The primary goal of coaching in the English language is to help learners develop the communication skills they need to succeed in their personal and professional lives.

Naturally, coaching in teaching English can be conducted in varied settings. These might be one-on-one sessions, group coaching, or online coaching. Throughout all coaching situations, thier role is to create a safe and supportive environment that encourages the client to explore their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The coach uses active listening, powerful questioning, and direct communication to help the client gain clarity, identify limiting beliefs, and develop action plans.

International Coaching Federation Standards

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession. The ICF has established a set of core competencies and ethical guidelines that define the professional standards for coaching. These standards ensure that coaches provide high-quality services based on best practices and research, which can be applied to coaching in teaching English.

The ICF core competencies include:

1. Setting the Foundation: Establishing the coaching agreement, building trust and intimacy, and co-creating the coaching relationship.
2. Co-creating the Relationship: Establishing a collaborative partnership, communicating effectively, and managing progress and accountability.
3. Communicating Effectively: Active listening, powerful questioning, direct communication, and creating awareness.
4. Facilitating Learning and Results: Planning and goal-setting, creating awareness, designing actions, and managing progress and accountability.
5. Professional Development: Engaging in ongoing learning and development, maintaining ethical standards, and demonstrating cultural competence.

Align coaching in teaching English with ICF standards

Here are some ways coaching in teaching English can incorporate the ICF standards into their coaching in the English language:

1. Setting the Foundation: Establish clear coaching agreements that outline the scope of the coaching engagement, the roles and responsibilities of the coach and client, and the confidentiality policy. Build trust and intimacy by creating a safe and supportive environment that encourages open communication.
2. Co-creating the Relationship: Collaborate with clients to co-create the coaching relationship. Communicate effectively using active listening, powerful questioning, and direct communication. Manage progress and accountability by establishing clear goals and action plans.
3. Communicating Effectively: Use active listening to fully understand clients’ perspectives and needs. Ask powerful questions that challenge assumptions and help clients gain clarity. Use direct communication to provide feedback and support.
4. Facilitating Learning and Results: Work with clients to set goals and develop action plans aligned with their values and priorities. Create awareness by helping clients identify limiting beliefs and assumptions. Manage progress and accountability by regularly reviewing goals and action plans.
5. Professional Development: Engage in ongoing learning and development to stay current with best practices and research in the coaching field. Maintain ethical standards by adhering to the ICF Code of Ethics. Demonstrate cultural competence by understanding and respecting the diversity of our clients.

Last thoughts

Coaching in teaching English is a powerful tool, ultimately empowering learners to develop the communication skills needed for personal and professional success. Aligning coaching practices with ICF standards ensures teachers deliver the highest quality services, maximizing value for clients. This applies to everyone, from individuals seeking personal growth to entire organizations.

For more information on coaching, be sure not to miss ELTAS’ workshop on June 29th with Rachel Paling on International Coaching Federation (ICF) Common Core Competencies integrated into language learning. Contact us at: