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9 Small Details That Matter When Teaching EFL - TEFL Blog
Thu, 29 Nov 2018 Linda Dunsmore
Teaching Ideas
9 Small Details That Matter When Teaching EFL
When you teach English as a foreign language it's important to pay attention to details that we sometimes ignore when communicating with other native level speakers, either in spoken or written English. Some people have got into the habit of writing in uppercase/capital letters, use abbreviations, and don't think much about punctuation. We also tend not to be too critical of people's spoken English as long as we get the point across. 'There's a lot of cars on the road today' is grammatically incorrect for example.
Table of Contents
1. Punctuation
2. Upper and Lowercase
3. Abbreviations
4. Use of Colour on the Board
5. Avoid Boring Gap-Fills
6. Avoid Changing What Students Say
7. Maximizing... [Read more]
Grammar as a Starting Point of Your ESL Teaching - TEFL Blog
Thu, 08 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Grammar as a Starting Point of Your ESL Teaching
Learning a language is acquiring the ability to produce the language and to produce the language accurately, a student needs to learn the grammar of that language. So, what is grammar?
Table of Contents
Listen to this blog post:
Definition of Grammar
Tricky Issue
The Way of Explanation
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sheila A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Listen to this blog post:
Definition of Grammar
Grammar is the study of the way words are used to make sentences. It is a set of rules that provides the... [Read more]
How Students Benefit From an ESA Structured Lesson - TEFL Blog
Tue, 31 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Students Benefit From an ESA Structured Lesson
Out of all the methods of Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, the ESA-structured lessons are the most productive with a balance of teacher instruction and student practice time. This method often includes others such as audio-bilingualism (drilling techniques), PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production), and task-based learning; but offering a wide variety of techniques within one method is the beauty of the Engage-Study-Activate lesson model. This lesson model has many benefits for students of English.
Table of Contents
Warming Up
Learning through Producing
Practicing
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Business English, Understanding the Importance of Teaching Both Illocutionary and Perlocutionary Utterances - TEFL Blog
Fri, 29 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Business English, Understanding the Importance of Teaching Both Illocutionary and Perlocutionary Utterances
Business language is often used to affect another person's behavior. However, it should be stated early that the language must be used to help the other person. It should not be used for mere financial gain. One may gain financially by it, but the persuasion, if acted upon, must have a positive effect upon the person who has been persuaded. One may be able to persuade an Eskimo to purchase ice, however, that makes the businessperson a swindler rather than an excellent salesman.
Table of Contents
Sentence Structure
Why to teach those points?
Students' goals
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!... [Read more]
Benefits for Students from Learning Through the ESA Method - TEFL Blog
Thu, 23 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Benefits for Students from Learning Through the ESA Method
Out of all the methods of Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, the ESA-structured lessons are the most productive with a balance of teacher instruction and student practice time. This method often includes others such as audio-lingualism (drilling techniques), PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production), and task-based learning; but offering a wide variety of techniques within one method is the beauty of the Engage-Study-Activate lesson model. This lesson model has many benefits for students of English.
Table of Contents
Structure of the lesson
Engage students
Explain teaching points
Help students activate
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!... [Read more]
The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers from: 110
The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers
Coursebooks and Materials - Best Use of the Coursebook
Federico Riva
Teaching Ideas
In this blog we will consider how best to use the teaching material course book that often accompanies a course. There are a number of stategies we can adopt to get the most out of the book in different situations.
What are Conditionals?
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Teaching Ideas
What are conditionals? In simplest terms, they say “if this happens, then that happens”. They're commonly referred to as ‘if' sentence structures’.
Top Tips for Making Online Teaching More Fun and Engaging
Shirin Sophy
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
In this article, some basic tips that can make online teaching a more convenient experience for both... [Read more]
BLOG TEFL & TESOL courses - Work and Live Abroad! from: 150
Older Posts
What is Reported Speech?
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences
We can quote people through what's called direct speech. In written form it would look like “Corey said we're moving house next week”. We've used quotes and we've quoted Corey directly, i.e. used the exact words that he used. There is however another way we can quote people, and this is through reported speech. We don't quote their exact words, but we simply let people know what has been said.
Coursebooks and Materials - Best Use of the Coursebook
Federico Riva
Teaching Ideas
In this blog we will consider how best to use the teaching material course book that often accompanies a course. There are a number of stategies we can adopt to get the most out of the book in different situations.
What are... [Read more]
Last posts written by Federico from: 120
Federico Riva
Read my articles
Theories - Methods & Techniques of Teaching English: An Overview | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Teaching Ideas
Methodology, Approach, Method and Technique, what are all these terms and how do they relate to my teaching ESL in the classroom? We take a look at these concepts and explain their meaning.
Productive and Receptive Skills in the EFL Classroom - Receptive Skills - Potential Problems | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Teaching Ideas
The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears.
Productive and Receptive Skills - Speaking Activities | ITTT | TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
... [Read more]
How I Enhanced My Teaching Skills With a TEFL Course - TEFL Blog
Mon, 08 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
How I Enhanced My Teaching Skills With a TEFL Course
The best thing I learned from the TEFL course cannot be explained in one thought or topic sentence because it was significant. However, for this essay, I will narrow it down to one concept. I am an experienced licensed teacher from the United States, but there is always more to learn. In the United States, I would have one or two students in my class each year that were not native English speakers. So, the idea of teaching a classroom of students where all the learners are not native speakers is new to me. I was unfamiliar with ESA's acronym (Engage, Study, Activate) until I took this course, and I appreciate this concept the most. ESA was the best thing I... [Read more]
The Importance of Phonetics and Phonology and Suggestions for Their Effective Teaching - TEFL Blog
Fri, 08 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Importance of Phonetics and Phonology and Suggestions for Their Effective Teaching
Phonetics and phonology may seem like advanced or 'bonus' aspects of teaching the English language, but they are essential and fundamental to successful English communication for English students. While teaching and practicing concepts like pronunciation, intonation, stress, and articulation may be difficult (or seem outright impossible!), there are several methods and tools which English teachers can employ to help their students master them.
Table of Contents
Clear Understanding
Importance to Teach this knowledge
How to start?
Practical Work
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This post was written by our... [Read more]
The ESA Method to Facilitate Student Learning Needs - TEFL Blog
Thu, 31 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The ESA Method to Facilitate Student Learning Needs
Every fresh teacher, once starting his or her career, has this question: how should I teach English? What is the best way to organize my classes to make sure students would not be bored and learn something? And how to keep them motivated and enjoy every lesson? I did have all these questions at the beginning of my teaching career, and by trials and errors, I found the approach this TEFL course is based on – ESA.
Table of Contents
My Language Learning Story
Teaching Practice
Lesson Steps
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angelina G. Please note that this blog post might not... [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]
Top-5 Fun Flashcard Activities - TEFL Blog
Thu, 03 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Top-5 Fun Flashcard Activities
Flashcards can be great tools for eliciting vocabulary, but teachers should not overlook the numerous other uses for these great tools. Flashcard games can add excitement to young learners' classes. The following activities are aimed to drill the vocabulary in the second study phase of the lesson, after the elicitation of vocabulary.
Table of Contents
1. Game for liars
2. Get on the other side of the bridge
3. Memory challenge
4. Keyword race
5. More for listening skills
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kiyomi Ann H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions... [Read more]
Drilling as an Effective Learning Technique in the ESL Classroom - TEFL Blog
Fri, 22 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Drilling as an Effective Learning Technique in the ESL Classroom
The word 'drilling' in education refers to a teaching technique in which the teacher creates a certain pattern or structure to be practiced repeatedly by the students, for them to ultimately develop a system where they may identify and use the pattern or structure independently. Drilling as a technique has been put to use in teaching almost all subjects, but its efficacy has been particularly acknowledged in the field of language teaching, for training students in both pronunciation as well as grammar. However, just as it has been lauded for being a foolproof system of making students 'practice' a language, drilling has also been criticized for being a mechanical and... [Read more]
Top-5 Kid's Favorite Flashcard Activities - TEFL Blog
Mon, 19 Apr 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Top-5 Kid's Favorite Flashcard Activities
This paper will answer the question, "What are five flashcard activities for teaching English to young learners?" Young learners are defined as students attending elementary school, aged between six and twelve.
Table of Contents
1. Pass the card
2. What's missing?
3. Freeze
4. Slap
5. Rock-Paper-Scissors team battle
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tristan K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
1. Pass the card
This activity is a great... [Read more]
Using Flashcards in Teaching EFL Teenagers and Adults - TEFL Blog
Thu, 25 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Using Flashcards in Teaching EFL Teenagers and Adults
Flashcards are a simple, versatile, yet often underexploited resource, and they are instrumental in eliciting more obscure words. They are a great way to present, practice, and recycle vocabulary and some grammar structures.
Table of Contents
Benefits to Use Flashcards
Lesson Planning with Flashcards
Ideas on Using Flashcards in the Classroom
Vocabulary
Group Work
Recollection
Grammar Boost
Are you ready to teach English abroad or online?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate FatoÅŸ T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily... [Read more]
Teaching English in Taiwan ✅ The Hidden Gem of Asia - TEFL Blog
Sun, 14 Feb 2021 Christian Davey
Destinations Alumni Experiences
Teaching English in Taiwan ✅ The Hidden Gem of Asia
What do you envision when you see yourself teaching English abroad? Depending on your point-of-view, it could differ considerably, I bet. For instance, you may picture yourself eating local food on your lunch break with your colleagues, or you might begin to ponder what your students are talking about in their native language during the break time. Whatever you picture, I can happily say that the experience of teaching English in Taiwan is packed with so much joy and satisfaction.
Table of Contents
About the author
Teaching English in Taiwan - Previous experience necessary?
Learning as you go
The first few months in Taiwan
Fine-tuning teaching skills
Classroom... [Read more]