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Approaches to Teaching English Vocabulary to ESL Students - TEFL Blog
Thu, 06 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Approaches to Teaching English Vocabulary to ESL Students
Learning new vocabulary is considered as an integral part of learning a new language. Even children who learn their mother tongues learn isolated phrases and words before making complex sentences. Similarly, in second language learning, teaching new words and phrases plays an important role in helping learners' communication. Based on David Wilkins "without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed". If learners spend their time on learning grammar, their English will not improve greatly. However, if they learn more words, phrases, and expressions, they can express almost anything (Thornberry, 2002; Watkin, 2005).
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3 Useful Strategies to Teach Vocabulary in The ESL Classroom - TEFL Blog
Tue, 18 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
3 Useful Strategies to Teach Vocabulary in The ESL Classroom
Lewis (1993) claims that "Lexis is the core or heart of language" (p 89). Indeed, it is one of the basic steps of mastering a foreign language. Vocabulary knowledge is what makes verbal communication between people possible. Most teachers face problems when teaching new items. They feel the need to use techniques to have an effective lesson. Over the years, teachers have tried to find the most effective and practical strategies to teach vocabulary. They have been applying several methods like fill in the blank definitions, pre-teaching unfamiliar words and stressing high-frequency words. This essay will just focus on three strategies that can help teach vocabularies such as... [Read more]
The 3 Ways to Teach Vocabulary Effectively - TEFL Blog
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The 3 Ways to Teach Vocabulary Effectively
Lewis (1993) claims that "Lexis is the core or heart of language" (p 89). Indeed, it is one of the basic steps of mastering a foreign language. Vocabulary knowledge is what makes verbal communication between people possible. Most teachers face problems when teaching new items. They feel the need to use techniques to have an effective lesson. Over the years, teachers have tried to find the most effective and practical strategies to teach vocabulary. They have been applying several methods like fill in the blank definitions, pre-teaching unfamiliar words and stressing high-frequency words. This essay will just focus on three strategies that can help teach vocabularies such as using visual... [Read more]
Useful Methods for Teaching Vocabulary - TEFL Blog
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Useful Methods for Teaching Vocabulary
Teachers often encounter difficulties in various aspects of language teaching. The main task of every teacher is to motivate and engage a student in the process of language learning. In this regard, teachers try to set a learning environment in the classrooms to be able to demonstrate and make learners stay focused on the lessons. There are different methods and approaches to learning English, and it is not always easy to choose the best one to make a lesson effective and successful.
Table of Contents
Why work on vocabulary?
Challenges
So, how do we, teachers, teach the vocabulary?
ESA
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The Art of Teaching New Vocabulary - TEFL Blog
Mon, 15 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Art of Teaching New Vocabulary
How do we start to learn a language? - With words. Little babies first say single words and only in some period of time they start saying sentences. So teaching vocabulary is one of the most important things in learning a foreign language. If we imagine language as a tree, grammar is a trunk of the tree and vocabulary is its leaves.
Table of Contents
Listen to this blog post:
Personal Experience
How to introduce new vocabulary?
How many words should be taught per lesson?
How to help pupils learn and remember new words?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anastasiia D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily... [Read more]
Is Teaching Slang and Idioms Important for ESL Students? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 16 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Is Teaching Slang and Idioms Important for ESL Students?
Slang and idioms are often omitted from the formal education curriculum. According to the Cambridge dictionary, slang is defined as a "very informal language that is usually spoken rather than written, used especially by particular groups of people" and an idiom is defined as "a group of words in a fixed order that have a particular meaning that is different from the meanings of each word on its own". This essay will suggest possible reasons why slang and idioms are often excluded from formal English lessons, and posit that it is important to teach them to certain groups of ESL students namely, students who have moved to an English-speaking country with little or no prior... [Read more]
Top Tips for Designing an Effective Lesson Plan - TEFL Blog
Fri, 27 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Top Tips for Designing an Effective Lesson Plan
Teachers who want to have good performance in class should have good lesson planning. Teachers should answer these questions before preparing lesson planning: what am I teaching? Whom am I teaching? How will I teach? And how will I know if the students understand?
Table of Contents
Reasons to plan
Lesson Components
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Phuong T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Reasons to plan
Writing a lesson plan is very important for all teachers. A lesson plan helps the teacher to keep on target during the... [Read more]
What Methods Can We Use to Motivate Students? - TEFL Blog
Tue, 24 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
What Methods Can We Use to Motivate Students?
As we all know, motivate students is a signature party of a teaching career. In the future, we maybe will teach the businesswomen/businessmen group, our pupil group. Motivate them and keep them studying is an expression of working ability. Here comes a question, what methods we can use to motivate students?
Table of Contents
Switching roles
Speech patterns
Body language
Safety
Competiton
Choices
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Zixi Y. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Switching roles
Above all, we need to change our roles from... [Read more]
Creating Interest with Visual Aid in the Classroom - TEFL Blog
Thu, 16 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Creating Interest with Visual Aid in the Classroom
Visual images aids can add interest and often add meaning in a way that words can't. This is especially true for ESL students who don't have sufficient words to understand detailed spoken explanations.
Table of Contents
Learning styles
Flashcards
Drawings
Photos
Example lesson plan
Creating materials
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate JunCui Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Learning styles
People learn in different ways. For example, some people learn well by listening, some by movement and touch and many people respond... [Read more]
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C. Y. - Japan said:
Teaching vocabularyOne of the most difficult aspects of teaching English to esl students is vocabulary. native speakers learn vocabulary through immersion and trial and error. From when they are very young, they pick up most of their basic vocabulary from their environment. The ESL student does not have the benefit of this method of language acquisition. Their environment does not usually assist in the acquisition of English vocabulary, therefore teaching this aspect of English... [Read more]
How to Actually Use the ESA Method in Teaching - TEFL Blog
Wed, 05 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How to Actually Use the ESA Method in Teaching
The Engage, Study, Active (ESA) method is a combination of different methods. It was created by Jeremy Harmer when he wrote the book called "How to Teach English" in 1998. In this book, he gives an overview of the different methodologies such as Task-Based Learning, Community Language Learning, and Suggestopedia. He then describes a new methodology: ESA. This method has three main parts that are utilized in different ways to create three distinct ESA lessons discussed below.
Table of Contents
Lesson Stages
Types of Lesson Plans
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kelly H. Please note that... [Read more]
The History of the ESA Methodology - TEFL Blog
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The History of the ESA Methodology
ESA is a learning methodology invented by Jeremy Harmer. April 30, 1947, He has taught English in Mexico and the UK and has trained teachers around the world. He is the series editor of the "How to teach" series, and the author of the highly acclaimed The Practice of English Language Teaching and How to teach English.
Table of Contents
The principles of the method
Typical Structure
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nawal S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
The principles of the method
The ESA method which he invented, has all the factors... [Read more]
How can an instructor effectively use games with adult EFL students? - TEFL Blog
Tue, 30 Apr 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How can an instructor effectively use games with adult EFL students?
When I first made the transition from primary school to university, I knew that my lesson plans were clearly going to have to change. As I began to come up with ideas for my new job, I was disappointed that most of the content I previously used had no place in the university. Games, such as Hangman and Pictionary, worked excellently in capturing the interests of my young students, but I didn't think these childish games had any place in a university classroom. I found out weeks later how wrong I was when I used Pictionary at the beginning of one of my courses to 'preview' the vocabulary we would be covering in class that day. I discovered that day that games can... [Read more]
How to Structure your Study Phase To Target Receptive Skills - TEFL Blog
Thu, 03 Jun 2021 Shirin Sophy
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
How to Structure your Study Phase To Target Receptive Skills
The study stage, when the teaching is actually done, is the second phase of a straight-arrow ESA lesson plan. What needs to be taught in this stage depends on the course content and the source the teacher is expected to cover through a specific period.
Table of Contents
Pre-teaching
Skimming
Scanning
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But generally speaking, languages are made of receptive and productive skills in addition to systems like syntax or grammar, vocabulary or lexis, and phonology. The content of textbooks is normally centered around these areas.
Although the ESA method is supposed to be applied... [Read more]
The Main Principles of Teaching New Vocabulary - TEFL Blog
Fri, 26 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Main Principles of Teaching New Vocabulary
When considering how an ESL student learns the English language, the first aspect of the teaching material an instructor must consider is the vocabulary. Vocabulary, when breaking a sentence into individual pieces, gives a sentence its meaning. Of course, using the appropriate grammar is essential to communicating at the highest level, especially if a student is to be considered proficient to any degree. Regardless of grammar, if a student does not know the basic vocabulary, the message the student wants to convey will never leave the mental painting in the depths of his or her mind.
Table of Contents
Grammar is not the center of teaching
Effective strategies of vocabulary teaching
Do... [Read more]
TEFL certification and Its Benefits for an Alumna’s Career - TEFL Blog
Wed, 12 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
TEFL Certification and Its Benefits for an Alumna’s Career
The best thing I've learned from this course begins with the EFL teacher as an instrument of facilitation. The creative spark that ignites a flame in every student that is trying to master a new language. A teacher doesn't need to be perfect but must be fully present and prepared with a positive, supportive vibe. The successful teacher is a role model, a subject matter expert, and a skilled conductor of English language learning and immersion. Course books aside, from the very first lesson, a teacher identifies the level of learners and builds rapport with students through engaging activities that aim to reveal the students' needs and interests. These interests can then... [Read more]
Entertaining Approach to Teaching Grammar - TEFL Blog
Tue, 23 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Entertaining Approach to Teaching Grammar
Grammatical structures are the essential building blocks to any language, English is no exception. Without a frame, a painting will fall off the wall or lose its form. The meaning behind the words is very much the same as a painting in a frame. The ideas which are meant to be conveyed are like the characters of a painting, the grammatical tools are like the colors, the structure and order of the words are like the brushstrokes which add depth and tone to a work of art. English is art. Subjects, objects, and verbs are the colors, shapes, and tones of basic English.
Table of Contents
Why to teach grammar?
Entertaining approach to teaching grammar
Engage
Elicitation and study
Activate
Do you... [Read more]
How to Teach Vocabulary Effectively - TEFL Blog
Mon, 10 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How to Teach Vocabulary Effectively
Teaching vocabulary is one of the important ways for teachers to help English students succeed. When students expand their vocabulary, they can improve other language skills. The more vocabulary students have, the more words they can use to express thinking in their minds. And there are so many ways to help students to build their vocabulary, especially the three following ways.
Table of Contents
Visualization
Flashcards
Context
Student Talking Time
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anh N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Visualization... [Read more]
Using the ESA Method in Teaching English as a Foreign Language - TEFL Blog
Thu, 02 May 2019 Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
Using the ESA Method in Teaching English as a Foreign Language
ESA stands for Engage, Study, and Activate. It is an effective and logical method used to teach new Language (Jeremy Harmer).
Table of Contents
The Engage Stage
The Study Stage
The Activate Stage
Advantages Of Using The ESA Method In Teaching English As Second Language
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By using ESA, it gives teachers the flexibility to conduct a classroom in an organized and productive way. ESA is extremely important when it comes to teaching, in the sense that it keeps the students interested, motivated and eager to learn more. ESA is particularly appropriate for trainees and new teachers, hence the... [Read more]
ESA Methodology - What Is It and Why Should You Use It in the Classroom? - TEFL Blog
Fri, 31 Aug 2018 Linda Dunsmore
Teaching Ideas
ESA Methodology - What Is It and Why Should You Use It in the Classroom?
ESA is a common methodology that teachers use when teaching students another language. It is also a large part of your TEFL certification course. By using the layout of the ESA method to plan your lessons, they will be more structured, organized and effective.
Table of Contents
Listen to this blog post:
What is ESA?
The Engage Phase
The Study Phase
The Activate Phase
Benefits of Using the ESA Method
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Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
This post was written by our ITTT graduate Casandra L.
Listen to this blog post:
What is ESA?
ESA stands for engage, study, and activate. By... [Read more]
The Most Important Teaching Strategies and Techniques ESL Need to Use - TEFL Blog
Fri, 15 Feb 2019 Jon ITTT
Alumni Experiences
The Most Important Teaching Strategies and Techniques ESL Need to Use
Upon completion of my TESOL course, the best thing I have learned is actually plural and not limited to one item. Most importantly a TESOL instructor needs to be able to reach all students with varying needs, styles and preferences of learning in order to ensure the highest degree of probability that his or her students learn English, while keeping all students in the class as engaged as possible at all times.
Table of Contents
Activities to use in the classroom
Using technology in the classroom
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Listen to this blog post
This post was written by our TEFL certification... [Read more]
A Sample ESA Lesson Plan for English Teaching - TEFL Blog
Wed, 31 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
A Sample ESA Lesson Plan for English Teaching
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Thom P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Table of Contents
First Step
Second Step
Grammar (15 minutes)
a/an
the
no article
Pronunciation (15 minutes)
Third Step
Cool Down (5 minutes)
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First Step
Lesson Objectives: Students will practice recognizing homophones and practice the correct, indefinite, and zero articles.Summary of tasks/actionsWarm-Up: Vocabulary Review (10 minutes)
Tell students that they... [Read more]
Keeping College Students Motivated in ESL Learning - TEFL Blog
Thu, 02 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Keeping College Students Motivated in ESL Learning
In my classroom, I often hear many of my students saying, "I want to be good at English." At the same time, I am aware that most of them almost lose their motivation for learning English. After studying English hard to pass the entrance examination, they are free from the "obligational" study of English. Now in college, no one in the classroom speaks out that English is unnecessary. On the contrary, they answered that they need to study English because it is a global language. More importantly, the ability to command the language strongly influences the success of their job hunting.
Table of Contents
Confusing Wills
Setting Goals
Reasons for the issue
Keeping motivation
Do you want... [Read more]
The Most Common Learning Techniques As Observed By An ESL Teacher - TEFL Blog
Wed, 26 Dec 2018 Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
The Most Common Learning Techniques As Observed By An ESL Teacher
My biggest takeaway from my TEFL certification course with ITTT is the topic of learning techniques. Learning techniques vary depending on race, gender, age, cultural background , past experiences and several other variables of the students involved. I will describe my personal past experiences in regards to the subject at hand.
Table of Contents
Visual vs. Auditory Learners
The Auditory Learner
The Visual Learner
Gender
Culture
Age
Willing vs. Unwilling Students
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I would like to take a moment to thank the ITTT staff for putting together this highly informative and enlightening TEFL... [Read more]
Secrets of Effectively Teaching Core Vocabulary - TEFL Blog
Fri, 20 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Secrets of Effectively Teaching Core Vocabulary
Being an English teacher, teaching skills are very important. The quality of learning result depends on many factors, but the teacher's methods are the essential elements for learners' learning progress, motivation, enthusiasm, etc. to help them have the best result in studying English. I will concentrate on "How to teach vocabulary effectively".
Table of Contents
The Role of Vocabulary in Communication
Engagement
Delivering New Means of Communication
Practicing Acquired Linguistic Devices
Other Ways to Teach
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nhat D. Please note that this blog post might... [Read more]
3 EFL Teaching Methods You Should Know That Work - TEFL Blog
Fri, 21 Jul 2023 Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
3 EFL Teaching Methods You Should Know That Work
In this post, we'll be uncovering the secrets behind successful language instruction. We'll be looking at three different methods - Audio-Lingual, Presentation Practice Production (PPP), and Engage Study Activate. These methods play a big role in helping you learn languages confidently. Join us as we dive into these approaches and discover how they can make language learning a fantastic journey!
Table of Contents
The Audio-Lingual method
Typical features of an Audio-lingual Method lesson:
Presentation Practice Production
Phase 1 of the PPP Method: Presentation
Phase 2 of the PPP Method: Practice
Phase 3 of the PPP Method: Production
Engage Study Activate
Engage phase... [Read more]
Flexibility of the ESA Method For a Fluent Learning Process - TEFL Blog
Tue, 10 Dec 2019 Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences
Flexibility of the ESA Method For a Fluent Learning Process
"Engage-Study-Activate" also known as ESA - is an effective teaching model designed by Jeremy Harmer. This methodology means, that for the best involvement of students in a learning process, the conditions of the lesson should be flexible and divided for different activities.
Table of Contents
ESA Components
Adjusting to a Particular Topic
Flexibility
Model "Straight Arrow" Lesson
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Dmitrii Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
ESA Components
"Engage" phase is a sequence, where the... [Read more]
“Be Interested, not Interesting”: How to Decrease Teacher Talking Time - TEFL Blog
Tue, 30 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
“Be Interested, not Interesting”: How to Decrease Teacher Talking Time
Let's remember the latest class you've had. What were you doing? Were you explaining a new rule? Were you answering your students' questions? Were you telling a story from your life? Weren't you talking too much? Let's discuss how to decrease teacher speaking time (TST) and increase student speaking time (SST).
Table of Contents
Communicative approach
The first thing I would like to talk about is structuring your work at the lesson.
Another thing I'd like to discuss is silence or pauses at the lesson.
The last but not the least thing I want to mention it's self-answering and the situation when the teacher starts speculating instead of his students.
Do you... [Read more]
Difference Between Formal and Colloquial Language Devices - TEFL Blog
Wed, 15 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Difference Between Formal and Colloquial Language Devices
Having recently moved to Spain with the full intention of completing a TEFL course and making a new life outside of the UK, whilst studying how to teach English, at the same time as learning Spanish so that I can communicate reasonably, it is this juxtaposition between this my English competence that has underlined for me just how difficult it can be for anybody to learn a new language, having been humbled by the gaps in my knowledge.
Table of Contents
My Experience in Germany
So in what ways does formal differ from informal English?
Reasons for Informal Speech
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How Does a Teacher Successfully Manage a Classroom? - TEFL Blog
Wed, 17 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Does a Teacher Successfully Manage a Classroom?
Finding the perfect balance between being a fun teacher who creates an environment in which students want to be a part of and are excited to learn and a teacher who is firm enough to maintain discipline in the classroom is possibly the most daunting challenge of a new teacher.
Table of Contents
Let's think about a possible scenario for a new teacher.
Students' expectations
This fictional scenario is an example of how not to manage a class.
There are numerous techniques for achieving a well-managed classroom.
Body language and voice
Various other factors help in setting up a well-managed classroom.
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This post... [Read more]