Does Chinese Speak English

Thu, 16 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Troubles of the Chinese Students You’ll Definitely Notice English is one of the most widely spoken languages and it is taught in a lot of countries. Globalization, fast economic development makes many people study English. People learn English for different reasons: business, education, life abroad, traveling, personal interest. Chinese students are not an exception. With the growing economies of China, the need for learning English increased dramatically. What challenges do Chinese students face when learning English? What challenges does the teacher meet teaching Chinese students? What teaching approach can be found? Table of Contents 1. Motivation 2. Education 3. National character 4. Language difference 5. Grammar 6....  [Read more]

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Differences of Acquiring Mandarin Chinese as the First Language and English as the Second This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Susan T S G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Table of Contents Background Definition of First vs Second Language My Own Experiences with Acquired vs Learning Languages Sentence Structures Verbs and Alphabets Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Background Singapore is a multilingual and multi-ethnic society. We have four official languages Malay, English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Tamil, with Malay as our...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences How English as a Mother Tongue influences Foreign Language Acquisition When I chose this topic, I asked myself what a foreign language is. Is it just a language spoken in another country that's not similar to one's own? Or does a language spoken in another city or district in one's country qualify as a foreign language? According to Wikipedia, a foreign language is originally from another country than the speaker. Table of Contents English as a Mother Tongue French Experience Exposure to Chinese Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nafuna M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [Read more]

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Pronunciation Problems for Learners Speaking Chinese as their First Language This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sheneil J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Table of Contents Problems with Consonants Problems with Vowels Problems with Rhythm and Stress Problems with intonation Minimal Pairs Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Problems with Consonants Chinese does not have either of the "th" sounds (like "that" and "this"). Most other languages do not have these sounds and they are problematic for most learners of English. The difficulty is the point of articulation- the tongue has to be between the teeth, not...  [Read more]

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The 4 Most Important Reasons Why Is English So Challenging for Chinese Learners In this blog post, I plan to examine why English may be such a challenging language for Chinese speakers to master, namely in comparison to their European peers. For the purpose of this examination, I will focus on four main aspects, from quite glaring differences to other aspects that some may not initially consider: written language, grammar, vocabulary, and language exposure. Table of Contents Chinese does not use an alphabet for written language Grammatically, Chinese and English stand worlds apart Challenges with vocabulary Exposure to English is very limited in China Are you ready to teach English in China? Related Articles: Listen to this blog...  [Read more]

Fri, 08 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why the Chinese Accent is so Difficult to Minimize in English As an aspirant teaching English to Chinese children, I chose 'Pronunciation problems of Chinese people' as the most attractive and the most useful topic for my summative task at this moment. Table of Contents So let's begin from the very beginning. The Second difficulty in pronunciation is so-called dark L or L's with no vowel sound after them. How can the teacher help students to correct this? Different Approaches Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: As resources of this joyful and useful research on the internet, I have used three videos on Youtube made by the three experienced teachers of the English language. Only one of them...  [Read more]

Tue, 11 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Difficulties in Teaching English to Native Mandarin Speakers Learning a second language can be difficult, and this is especially true when the learners L1 and their target language are completely different in structure, sound, and tones. An English as a second language student who speaks French, German, or any other European language will have an easier task than one who speaks a language that is not of European origins. One such language is Mandarin Chinese. Table of Contents State of The Problem The Chinese Language Structure Tenses Sentence Structure Do you want to teach English in China? Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ashley L. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Dates Combined TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Dates Combined TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts B.W. China said: Pronunciation Problems for students in ChinaIn china there is not just one language, but a few different dialects including Mandarin (spoken by about 70% of the population) plus Cantonese, Taiwanese and Wu. English and chinese belong to two different language families and are significantly different. Firstly, unlike English, chinese doesn?t have an alphabet and uses a logographic system for its written language. These are symbols, which represent words. Because...  [Read more]

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Essential Role of Grammar Grammar is not only about vocabulary and sentence structure but also can improve our communication and ability of logical thinking. Table of Contents Why learning grammar? Misconceptions How to learn a language effectively? Functions of grammar How to improve grammar? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Meiheriayi M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Why learning grammar? Some people always ask a question that what is the point of learning grammar? Foreigners never learn grammar, but they speak better English than us when they travel abroad. Also...  [Read more]

Mon, 22 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching Monolingual vs. Multilingual Groups: What You Need To Know A multilingual class is a class where the learners speak a variety of first languages. A monolingual class is a class where all the learners speak the same first language. I have been working in international school setting for over 13 years. The classes are multilingual classes where students come from different cultures and English is the common language for them to communicate with their teachers and classmates. Table of Contents Common Difficulties Common Culture Exposure to English Mother Tongue Are you ready to take a TEFL course? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post By contrast, English classes in local schools and universities in China...  [Read more]

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Deal With Problems That Learners of English Face in China Nowadays, English is becoming more and more popular and significant in China because of globalization. In big cities, parents send their kids to all kinds of organizations/schools to study English in their early three years. Some capable parents even use English as their communicative language from the first day the baby was born. No matter how early Chinese starts learning English, it's still not our mother language and the atmosphere is still in Chinese, which makes learning English not as easy as those in English countries. Table of Contents Different Dialects Aims of Learning Useful Methods 1. Environment 2. Role Model 3. Games 4. Family guidance Do you want to...  [Read more]

Qualifications Genuine TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Qualifications Genuine TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts G.R. - Libya said: English as a Global LanguageThe Christian Bible explains the advent of different languages and ever since that event communication between people of different languages had been a problem. During modern times people are no longer separated by distance and there is continued interaction between different nationalities, the most common being trading for business purposes. Communication due to different languages is becoming more and more...  [Read more]

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Common Struggles of the Chinese Native Speakers Learning English Most researchers agree that the learner's first language influences the pronunciation of the target language and is a significant factor in accounting for foreign accents. So-called interference or interference from the first language is likely to cause errors in aspiration, stress, and intonation in the target language. Table of Contents Phonetics Unusual Sounds Language Structure Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Vesna A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Phonetics Some Chinese students tend to have...  [Read more]

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Parental Help in Students English Learning In the Chinese area, English as a compulsory course in school has to be learned by students for years. Since the government has strengthened the importance of English in Gaokao (College Entrance Examination ) these days, every Chinese family wants their children to start on English learning as early as possible. There is no need to highlight the importance of English to a Chinese family at all. Table of Contents Bilingual daily life Create English surroundings Apply for online English course Find a foreign teacher Be a good example Regular reading Communicate with teachers Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Useful Teaching Ideas for EFL Kindergartens in China Working as an English teacher in the kindergarten is very entertaining and challenging, as the teacher will deal with the children who don't have even a basic knowledge of English, have the very short attention span and very different in terms of their behavior. Before I moved to China, I haven't prior experience in teaching the kindergarten level students, because I always thought that teaching the young learners would be annoying, hard to discipline and far too energy-consuming. So what I had learned was just through my own experience. Table of Contents My Experience Rapport Building Lesson Planning Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: ...  [Read more]

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Personal Teaching Experience in China and Russia In this topic, I will be talking about my own "Personal Teaching Experience" in two Asian countries that I've had the privilege to work in and teach such as, China and Russia. So you might want to ask yourselves, What's the difference between teaching Chinese and Russian students? Well honestly there is a huge difference so let's get started. Table of Contents Culture Assistance Personal Experience Teaching Materials Teaching Methods Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jhonatan J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Culture First...  [Read more]

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Should Chinese ESL Students Have Explicit Phonetic Instruction? During nine years of teaching English as a Second language, I have discovered how important phonetics is in learning the correct pronunciation of the English language, and in fact, in any language. Derwing and Munro (2005) emphasize, "It is essential to have an accurate understanding of the target language phonological system to enhance the quality of pronunciation". Table of Contents We should look at some of the problems that L2 learners have when trying to produce accurate L1 language patterns. We also have to take into account the students. Chinese students are very reluctant to speak in a classroom setting. So what pronunciation mistakes are most common? Do you...  [Read more]

Mon, 27 May 2019 William Noble Destinations Teaching Ideas English Speaking and Writing Errors made by Chinese Primary Students I have been an online ESL teacher to Chinese students for over 13 years, mostly with primary students but also with secondary and adult students. I am also a father and have homeschooled my daughter over her primary years. Like many teachers, I've enjoyed teaching at this level of education as it lays the foundation in English. As it set the foundation, my teaching helped students to overcome common errors in production skills, speaking and writing. Teaching both my daughter and Chinese students at the primary level also helped me also to understand the different expectations between first language and second language students. Table of Contents Speaking...  [Read more]

Mon, 13 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences English Learning Problems For Chinese Native Speakers and Solutions Most teachers come to China to teach English with only a general idea about Chinese culture and language which they should have to deal with as soon as they arrive in China. The reason I chose this topic is that I am fluent in Chinese and have experienced Chinese culture in all its facets for over than seven years. But let's not beat around the bush and get down to the nitty-gritty. Table of Contents Shyness/lack of confidence: Grammar issues: Pronunciation issues: Th: /s/ instead of /th/ V: /w/ instead of /v/ (mostly with southern Chinese) Lt: /t/ instead of /lt/ Intonation: Lack of learning structure: Do you want to teach English in China? Related Articles: ...  [Read more]

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Peculiarities of the English Language Every ESL Teacher Needs to Know A language is a tool that allows us to organize our thoughts as well as to communicate. Since language is unable to be separated from our conscious thought, it can be difficult to imagine how another language can function without the use of the core elements that we employ in our own native language. Likewise, it can be difficult to comprehend the function of a language element completely foreign to us. As a teacher, it can be important to understand the peculiarities of English to understand which language elements may be more difficult for the student. Some elements that may be completely new to English learners are the number system, verb tenses, and...  [Read more]

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Speaking Challenges in China I came to China 4 years ago to teach English. I have not managed to learn Mandarin in that time frame but I did learn quite a bit about the differences in pronunciation between Mandarin and American English. The most common errors made by Chinese students generally come from the habit of translating to their native language. English and Mandarin share some similarities such as word order and sentence structure which also complicate the issue. In this essay, I will discuss teaching pronunciation, the problems that can occur when teaching pronunciations, and the issues that occur with Mandarin speakers learning English. Table of Contents Pronunciation Intonation Phonics Do you want to teach...  [Read more]

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Improve English Writing Skills in Chinese Classrooms Creative writing classes are fun. Creative writing classes are rewarding. And sometimes, creative writing classes can be highly frustrating. I remember sitting down on a rainy day in Kunming, China, in front of me a cup of tea and a pile of homework assignments from my creative writing class. And I remember my disappointment as text after text turned out to be virtually identical, each one a variation of a popular Chinese fairy tale. Even the names of the characters seemed to have been picked from a very small pool of available names. Table of Contents The Lack of Creativity in China ESA Approach to Writing Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related...  [Read more]

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 Elizaveta Pachina Destinations Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Alumna Experience: ✅ Challenges Faced by TEFL Students From China The development of information lined social life and the economy's globalization make English more and more crucial. As one of the essential information carriers, English has become the most widely used language in every field of human life. English ability has become a necessary skill for every learner. The benefit of gaining a foreign language is tremendous. It will help him/her open the door to another world of learning different or new knowledge and achieve the goal of multiple learning and self-actualization. According to the number of people from all over the world, English usage has more than any language. English is the...  [Read more]

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching English at a University in China Teaching English is a challenging undertaking, and your students are looking to you for guidance. I am writing this summative to the reference to my teaching journey in China at a university. I was a master's student in English language and Applied linguistics at Central China Normal University. One day, I have been offered by the dean of the English department, if I can teach English in the department to some group of Chinese students. It was my first experience of teaching abroad and enthusiastically, I accepted and started teaching English. Therefore, I have taught the English language in various levels, ages, and different nationalities such as Africa, France, Bahrain, Turkey,...  [Read more]

Sun, 07 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Necessity of Slang and Idioms in ESL Studies Language is an organism that changes as the people using it changes. No living language sounds as it did 1,000 years ago, nor does any use all the same words that were used within it 100 years ago. Just as it is a very different experience to live in a body than it is to study one, so is it powerful for students of a foreign language to be invited to live in a language rather than only learn about it. The endless auditory phenomena of English, such as the "hootin' and tootin'" interjections of Appalachian people or the booming discourse of an African-American preacher, cannot be understood by other peoples unless they are exposed to the context these phenomena were nurtured in....  [Read more]

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking Grammar is the rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in a natural language. Simply put, grammar is the general rule of a language. Language is logical; grammar tells us in which order we say words. It's about how words become phrases; how words and phrases become sentences and how sentences become language. Table of Contents The Essence of Grammar Different languages have different grammar rules How to teach grammar (EFL: how to teach Chinese students English) Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yang S. Please note that this blog post...  [Read more]

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Cultural Sensitivity when Working With Chinese Students In 2010, I was on a cultural fact-finding mission. While living as an ex-pat in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China, I decided I would like to teach English to Chinese students. I thought it would be a fun, constructive way to spend my extra time while my husband was working. So, I took the challenge! I call this a challenge because I had no prior ESL experience at the time. I soon found that understanding the Chinese culture was going to become a priority. Is sensitivity to the Chinese cultural norms significant in teaching ESL in China? A very important puzzle piece in successful teaching in China is defined by their culture. Learning about it and implementing it in my teaching...  [Read more]

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How Does Online Education Influence ESL? The biggest influence online education has on ESL is that it changes the dynamics of the classroom to be nontraditional. It does not necessarily reflect the situations teachers envision themselves in when they set out to teach ESL. This nontraditional dynamic stretches from the delivery methods like online teaching platforms to the class itself and even the work and homework for students. Table of Contents Differences between in-class education and online education Future of online education Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jacob F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [Read more]

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences How Mandarin Chinese Helps Me in Teaching English Foreign language experience is complexed on so many different levels, it is a window into a different culture, often a different country and even a different paradigm of thinking. There is a multitude of language experiences people can have, each with their own intricacies and uniqueness. As a native English speaker from South Africa, living in China has provided me with extraordinary foreign language experience. Table of Contents The Most Difficult Language Benefits of Mandarin Experience Do you want to teach English in China? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marlan S. Please note that this blog post might not...  [Read more]

Thu, 22 Aug 2019 Ramon Perez Destinations Alumni Experiences How to Get a Teaching Job in China as a Non-Native English Speaker The prospect of working in a foreign country can be an exciting experience for any person seeking a change a pace. Every country has a unique adventure to offer, and many times we ask ourselves, "Which is the right place for me?". Here, we are going to discuss on how to gain access to the bountiful opportunities China has to offer for English language educators. Despite some strict governmental policies China has in place, the English language labor market is open to native and non-native speakers. Before you can embark on your new and exciting journey to China, there are some steps we must follow before we are eligible to work there as a non-native...  [Read more]