Couldn't Been Better

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Anticipated Problems: Japanese Speakers and Their Issues in ESL I have been living in Japan for the past one and a half years. Needless to say, the experience has been enthralling. This country would have never been my first choice for a country to relocate to, from my home country, India. But if my stay has taught me anything, it is that never judge a book by its cover. When we think of Japan, the first thing that pops up is that it is a country of workaholics; it has zero English presence, and the people are highly prejudiced against foreigners and foreign culture. I was proven wrong. Japan is a beautiful country. It is culturally so rich, it makes me want to live here forever. The people, though tend to be a little distant...  [Read more]

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences How I Changed Careers From Being a Nurse to Teaching English in China I might not have realized it before since I was busy studying and just trying to achieve my short term goals but I believe that my mother has been an inspiration for me to become a teacher. I could remember seeing kids at home being taught by my mom and she used pictures to identify certain shapes and animals. My mom was a regular housewife then. She taught only for fun and to make my brother and I be more engaged in learning things with the company of our friends, our playmates. Table of Contents "I thought that I didn't have what it takes to become a teacher." "After two years, I tried to look for other jobs that I could apply for with reasonable pay." "How am I...  [Read more]

Opportunities Teaching English in Vietnam Date posted:2019-01-24 | Writer: Mercury Center | Email: [email protected] Mercury Center has immediate opportunities in Vietnam for TEFL qualified teachers. We were founded by two humble street vendors, Peter and his brother, who came from difficult beginnings. Hidden in a quiet village, living in poverty with no real opportunity to build a future they decided to move to Hanoi. Here they started out as street vendors fighting to change their lives. After an early experience with foreign customers, they realized that the standard of English in Vietnam was simply not good enough. From that point, they taught themselves English and vowed to help other lower class children who couldn’t afford the steep price of English education in Vietnam....  [Read more]

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences When One Teaches, Two Learn - An English Teacher in Korea Shares Her Story I decided to write about the subject I'm an expert in, my personal teaching experience. The focus will be on what I've gained from the last nine years as an EFL instructor. I'll begin by telling you about my first teaching position in rural South Korea. Next, I'll share my experience taking the TEFL course. Finally, I'll discuss my efforts to become an independent online English instructor. I hope my experience can provide some insight into some of the many options for EFL teachers. Table of Contents Teaching English in South Korea English education is everything in South Korea. Taking the next steps towards a career in teaching English Are you ready to teach...  [Read more]

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What is Rapport and Its Main Principles? For years I have been thinking about my own personal experience as a student with the different institutions, methodologies, and teaching styles that I have been introduced to within my life to improve as a teacher in education that didn't work for me as a student. Table of Contents My Experience Rapport isn't about thinking in the same way as students. In short words I can say rapport can be developed within these main aspects: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Maria A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. My Experience I remember two...  [Read more]

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Description of the Role of the Teacher This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate MUSTAFA N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Table of Contents Is a teacher just a teacher? This is the question, which one is better than others? What Makes a Good Teacher? There is a very good saying of a leader "attitude is everything". Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: The role of the teacher can be divided an analyzed in two different ways; One is the education and knowledge, (part 1)Second is the personality and communication abilities, (part 2) Part one is a general precondition for every candidate, but part two is...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 May 2019 Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Feeling Comfortable Making Mistakes Can Really Help a Student’s Language Learning It is inevitable that everyone will make mistakes when trying something new for the first time. Because there is no way to avoid them, mistakes should be accepted, treated as normal, and even encouraged. It is always better to make some mistakes in the attempt than not to try at all, and this is particularly true when learning a new language. Table of Contents My Own Foreign Language Experience Translating This Environment to the Classroom Dealing With Mistakes Practice Makes Perfect Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Catherine L....  [Read more]

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 Mudita Yajnik TEFL Information Teaching Ideas The Benefits of Open-Note Tests What's the best way to find out what your students know? Or, how much they've been paying attention, or what you need to revisit? Table of Contents Every teacher reading this already knows the answer to those questions. The cycle of traditional testing is predictable Open-note tests can help students feel more comfortable with testing, Benefits of Open-note Tests Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Every teacher reading this already knows the answer to those questions. Tests. Tests can be a great way to find out if the class is ready to move forward or if they need to revisit some...  [Read more]

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences How I Accidentally Discovered My Passion For Teaching And Decided To Make It a Career This story is written by one of our TEFL course alumni who discovered their passion for teaching by accident and decided to pursue a career in ESL. Table of Contents Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our ITTT graduate Qiankun Y. About 2 years ago, I was working as an English tutor and taught adults in China. I graduated with a science major and had little teaching experience but I was keen to try out teaching. Before my first class, I was sent to a training program which taught me how to structure a class and how to teach with adult students. However, even after I completed...  [Read more]

Thu, 28 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How Teachers May Help Improving Productive Skills Outside the Classroom Environment? The productive skills have been the two criteria that determine one's language proficiency. To be more realistic in life, if someone is going to enter into his dream job or college, then the recruitment team or admission commission would carefully make a selection depending on one's productive skill. For instance, they will read a pool of submitted CVs and take interviews from the applicants. Thus, the learners are essential for developing these skills speedy not only in schools but also in everyday lives. Table of Contents Starting with writing skills, there are few tips to constantly improve it. Another useful way is to keep students writing small...  [Read more]

Tue, 26 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Important Personal Qualities an English Teacher has to Possess The first and most important quality for a teacher, regardless of what you teach, is the love for teaching. When we do things with passion, the energy that we put on it changes completely the result we obtain, as well as the entire experience for us and our students. Of course, it is imperative that we love the discipline we are teaching, but teaching is not about us enjoying it, it is about us guiding a student into the journey. From the first steps through all the complexity of it. In my career, one of the things that fills me the most, and does it every day, is the satisfaction of seeing the happiness of my students when they manage to achieve a new goal. Table of...  [Read more]

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Reasons to Obtain a TEFL Certificate Even if You Have Teaching Experience I am an experienced teacher, so why should I complete a TEFL course? A personal reflection on my experience, and how it has benefited and informed my teaching practice. Table of Contents Career Importance Surprising Discovery First Teaching Experience Teaching Abroad Obvious Benefits ESA Methodology Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Melanie W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Career Importance I didn't sign up for this course by choice. I was forced to do it by my employer. After many years of...  [Read more]

Mon, 27 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Should a TEFL Certification be Mandatory for Teachers? The importance of a course such as a TEFL is easy to overlook when you consider the multitude of teaching jobs that are available around the globe that require no teacher training whatsoever. In many countries, the only requirements are that you have some form of degree and are a native speaker. For those looking to travel whilst earning some money, these countries can provide a good balance of income and culture, as well as easy access to other countries in the area. However, whilst this is beneficial to the 'tourist teacher', it can often lead to substandard teaching methods. For an example of this, I need not look any further than myself. Table of Contents My Teaching...  [Read more]

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 Mark Crocker TEFL Information Alumni Experiences TEFL Options - Alternatives to Working in a State School or Language Center In this day and age, we have access to the world from the tips of our fingers. Through the integration of the internet, humanity has been connected like it's never seen before. As globalization continues and English dominates as the business standard for the world's commerce, this has made learning the English language a very lucrative skill to acquire. So who needs a TEFL certificate and could it be just what you are looking for? Table of Contents What a TEFL Certificate Provides Volunteer Teaching Teaching Online From Home Teaching Online on the Road Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English Abroad? Related Articles: This post...  [Read more]

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 Christian Davey Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences The Positives and Negatives About Teaching English in Taiwan Once you've decided to move abroad for work, I'm sure you'd like to know the pros and cons of the place? Sure, a quick browse online can give you some idea, but it probably won't go into anything specific or any real depth. Well, look no further as I'm going to give you five positives and five negatives about teaching English in Taiwan. Let's start with the positives, in no particular order. Table of Contents The Positives of Teaching English in Taiwan 1. It's quite safe and clean. 2. Everything is super convenient. 3. Taiwan is very foreigner-friendly. 4. Taiwan's nature has a lot to offer! 5. Taiwan has a vibrant indigenous culture. The...  [Read more]

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A Short Guide for Preparing Course Materials for TEFL Teaching Course materials are the ingredients of the class, that if implemented effectively, make it taste good. A teacher can be amazing at instructing but the materials are what will help the students apply the lecture and know if they understood it. It reminds me of when I was in class, listening to my teacher, oftentimes I was really under the impression that I understood what the teacher was saying. When I did my homework though, I found it difficult to apply that information to the exercises. This was often the case when the teacher explained things well, but the materials weren't personalized and came from a textbook that has been out of date for the past 5 years. Here...  [Read more]

Tue, 03 Jul 2018 Linda Dunsmore Destinations TEFL Information 10 Female Travel Bloggers You Should Be Following Right Now Are you planning on quitting the 9-to-5 and embark on an adventure of traveling the world? The following 10 women have done exactly that. Most of them got their TEFL certificate and are teaching English abroad, while others started out teaching and are now full-time travelers. Here are 10 female travel bloggers you should be following! Table of Contents @curiositytrav @lindagoeseast @ginabearsblog @milesofsmiles @lifeofbrit @thatbackpacker @eternalexpat @wander.dolls 9 @courtneylikkel 10 @feministglobetrotter Are you ready to live and teach English abroad? Related Articles: @curiositytrav Jessica from @curiositytrav is from San Diego and has visited 40 countries...  [Read more]

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Improve Teaching One-to-One In the last couple of years, I have been teaching English in Italy by using the one-to-one methodology. I'm registered on a platform called ProntoPro and this is how I get in touch with my future students. Teaching one-to-one can be very challenging, but also very rewarding. From a teacher's perspective, it is very important to find the methods that work best for you and for your students so you can both accomplish your goals. From my experience teaching, one-to-one is more student-centered and very motivational for the teacher since you need to create constantly new materials. It gives a lot of space to be creative to satisfy students' needs and interests. Table of Contents Advantages of One-to-One...  [Read more]

Fri, 08 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas My Dream Come True: My First Teaching Experience Teaching is a very enjoyable job and can also be highly rewarding. I had the opportunity to learn that by having an eighteen-month religious experience in which I shared all my beliefs with the people in Ecuador. Even though it wasn't a job I gave it my full commitment and that might be why I gained so much knowledge and life lessons from it. After returning home, I realized that I wanted to keep having that feeling in my life. I wanted to teach people. Now, the question was what to teach. After talking to some of my close family members and friends, I remembered an old dream that I had when I was younger: Being an English teacher. I started having a passion for this language since...  [Read more]

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 Rhea Latchu Alumni Experiences How can Teaching and Traveling be Blended? What if I told you it is totally possible to combine your passion with your dream? Table of Contents Teaching English, the Ticket to Being an Expat Not the Typical Tourist The Teaching Aspect The Balancing Act So Are You Ready for Your Journey? Related Articles: Well, it is. You see, for as long as I can remember, I have always had the dream to travel and wander around this globe. Then approximately four years ago, I discovered a passion within me that I didn't even know existed: teaching! And that is how my journey working as an EFL Teacher began! Teaching English, the Ticket to Being an Expat Teaching English for many presents the opportunity needed to become an expat. To live the expat...  [Read more]

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences How Teaching Slang Can Benefit Your ESL Students Stepping onto my flight from Miami to Santiago, Chile, I was confident in my Spanish skills. After all, I had taken nearly seven years of Spanish classes in middle and high school. However, when I landed I found, not only did I not understand 80% of what my host family said to me, they couldn't understand me either. Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: "Learning slang words is immensely helpful." "I was more motivated to retain these pieces of vocabulary and try them out in an attempt to sound more natural." "Learning slang can also open up the conversation for cultural exchange." "There are many activities that could be used to teach slang words." Are you ready to teach...  [Read more]

Top Tips for Teaching English as a Non-Native Speaker   Hello! Liza is here and if you are guys getting on this stream, let me know if you hear and see me. We are about to start. Today's live session is devoted to teaching English as a non-native speaker. Okay, let me check if anyone is here. Hello! my name is Liza, and today we will talk about teaching English as a non-native speaker. Let me show the name of the session. Hello guys, if you are watching right now, write down a couple of words. I can see your comments, and let me know where you are from? I'm curious. And let me introduce myself quickly. I'm now staying in my hometown in Russia. It is called Yekaterinburg. It's pretty cold today, but the day is so sunny, so I had to close my blinds because my home office space is...  [Read more]

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Top Tips For Teaching Young Adults Creative Writing J. K. Rowling once said: "All a writer needs is talent and ink." I agree. But she might have forgotten a crucial factor that made Harry Potter forever etched in our mind ---imagination. It is always said that writing is natural, so a good writer is someone who can write without conscious effort. Table of Contents The Power of Imagination Ask Yourself Questions Let Your Imagination Flow Decide What You Wish to Talk About My Teaching Experience Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anthony R. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. A...  [Read more]

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Teaching English as a Non-Native Speaker Hello! Liza is here and if you are guys getting on this stream, let me know if you hear and see me. Table of Contents Watch the live session here I'm specialized in general English, and I often work with young learners as well. From my perspective, TEFL certification is a significant first step to obtain before looking for a position in a real classroom or even online because it gives you a gist of teaching in general. So if you are interested in teaching English, don't forget about the many opportunities you have for your self-development and your teaching skills development. So if you are willing to take a TEFL course or if you know anyone...  [Read more]

Thu, 02 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching a Large Class: My Challenging Experience Back in 2014, I worked at a nursery school here in South Africa. I was the English teacher for the three to four-year-olds at this school. There were 32 students in my class. My class was so small that during nap time two students had to sleep on one mattress. There was no space to leave the class once the children had fallen asleep. I had to make sure that all my belongings were out of the class once the students came in for their naptime or I had to leave whatever was forgotten behind once I was one my way to my next job. In unit 3 on page 21, they talk about the whole class grouping pros and cons and that is really explained well where they say "class grouping is suitable for...  [Read more]

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why Would Someone Want to Complete a TEFL Course? There are many reasons why a person might be interested in becoming TEFL certified. Initially, I only really had one reason, is that it'd be an interesting way to start my career as a teacher and would determine if this was something I wanted to do with a big portion of my life. One of my major life goals is revamping the American education system and making it more efficient, especially on the public-school level. I've learned a decent amount about how education is handled in several countries outside of America and while no system is perfect, there are things we could be doing better. By finding a TEFL job in another country I'd be able to gain experience as a teacher as well as...  [Read more]

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Motivation: That’s What Classroom and Political Arena Have in Common "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears" - Mark Antony. I have a tall tale to tell you. A story filled with unspeakable horrors that make men dishonor all they have stood for; that pushes the statement "it is better to be feared than loved if you cannot be both"- Machiavelli. To tales of living in a land down under and learning the language of the locals and communing with them in a peaceful manner. Before ending with a tale as old of time, which is empires rise and fall, similar to teaching materials that are created and become outdated. If we are to succeed we must evolve or we will just get caught up in the churn with the changing tides. Let us begin...  [Read more]

Tue, 11 May 2021 Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences How to Work in China as a Non-Native English Teacher After the Pandemic Hello everybody, Liza here and I'm super happy to welcome you to this ITTT live session. It's a bit of an unusual time to meet because my sessions are usually on Tuesdays and today is Saturday. Anyway, I'm super happy that you could make it. Today's session is going to be slightly different because we are going to talk with my good friend about teaching in China. I know that many people are interested in this topic, so stay tuned because in a moment he will join me to talk about working in China and stuff like that. If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask them via the comment section. As for the timing for today, we are...  [Read more]

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Problems for Learners in France and How to Overcome Them Being an American living in France has given me firsthand experience as to what it is like to struggle with learning a new language. I studied Spanish for six years, in Junior High and High school. Language acquisition was easier then. I can attest to the fact that younger learners learn more quickly. For me, the two major problems with learning French are the tenses and not being able to understand what people are saying. I get stuck in the present tense, often forgetting to change tenses in conversation. I also need to hone up on my listening skills. Table of Contents What problems do native French speakers have with the English language? The other big problem that people...  [Read more]

Top Tips for Preparing ESL Students for Exams 10/05/2021 hey guys it's been a week it's been a week since last time and i couldn't start i couldn't wait to start this live session okay so i have to uh cut this first part uh when i start editing my live stream session after we finish it but anyway uh i couldn't wait to start this live stream session because the topic of the discussion is going to be really fun and i like to dwell upon this um idea so let me quickly uh open the presentation and while waiting for some more people to join us um i'm gonna tell you a little bit more about myself i also want to introduce itttt so i will be really short i i will be really brief on that but anyway it's like an intro part uh and if you guys are there please let me know that you can see and hear me...  [Read more]