Esl Speaking Practice Activities

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles My Personal Teaching Experience in Xi’an, China | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their story of teaching abroad. They worked in China, one of the most popular destinations for ESL teachers. A Lesson Plan to Practice Speaking With ESL Adults | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL expert shares an EFL lesson plan for teaching speaking skills. Get inspired or simply use this ready lesson with your advanced level students. ...  [Read more]

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Speaking in an ESL Kindergarten In teaching kindergarten level students, I find that three important aspects must be included in every lesson. Each lesson must contain parts that allow the students to "warm-up" their English skills, they must also have a chance to drill the vocabulary and target language, and lastly, the classes must have activities that give the students a chance to practice using their vocabulary and target language in a relatable activity. Table of Contents Beginning of the class Methodology Active stage Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebecca S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Archives for January 2023 The Best Countries For Teaching ESL in Europe Federico Riva Destinations TEFL Information Explore the best countries in Europe for teaching ESL: from job opportunities to cultural immersion experiences, find your perfect destination to teach and travel. The Importance of Speaking English in Today's World Hoàng Minh Huy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Speaking skills are crucial for language learners. Learn the benefits of fluent speaking in a second language & strategies to improve your English speaking skills in this informative blog post. Top 5 ESL Teacher Strategies for Your Online Classes Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will look at five strategies you can use t boost your...  [Read more]

Wed, 28 Oct 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas 5 Communicative ESL Speaking Activities Your Students Will Love Speaking activities are essential for English learning as they give a chance to learn new linguistic points, including grammar and real-life listening skills. Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Speaking Cards Collaborative Discussion Interview Giving Directions Speaking Boardgame Are you ready to teach online or in-class? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Unfortunately, teachers often omit communicative tasks in the classroom because they feel that it is difficult to manage them. There is also a lack of time to practice speaking; many course books provide ESL...  [Read more]

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 Estefany Garduño TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Creating your Own English Immersion Experience for ESL Students When you hear about English lessons, the first thing that comes into your mind is probably lessons taken from a book, answer lesson sheets, and talking in pairs applying a small group of vocabulary, and that's all. Let's change the game by giving a higher immersion of English to your ESL students without going to an English-speaking country to obtain more vocabulary, pronunciation, and speaking practice. Table of Contents What is an English Immersion Experience? How could I start? Select a topic according to your students' English level Include as receptive as productive skills. Build confidence in students Time to expand during the...  [Read more]

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences How Adults’ Learning Differs From Teenagers’ and Children’s Learning? ESL teachers must acknowledge that it is not equal teaching English Lessons to children, teenagers, and adults, there are some wide differences between the practices used in each case, classroom, population, levels, and country where English is taught, on this paper we will check how an ESL lesson may be affected by these variables, and how we could overlap them on the practices used in teenagers and adults English lessons. Table of Contents Basic concepts Self-concept Personal Experience Adults learning process Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Javier V....  [Read more]

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A Comprehensive Lesson Plan for Intermediate ESL Students in a 1-Hour Class Effective communication is a crucial skill for ESL learners, and developing strong speaking abilities is a key aspect of language acquisition. In this blog post, we will explore a comprehensive lesson plan designed specifically for intermediate ESL students. This one-hour class aims to equip learners with the necessary tools to enhance their speaking skills, fostering confidence and fluency. Let's dive into the details! Table of Contents Part 1: Warm-Up and Introduction (10 minutes) Part 2: Vocabulary and Language Review and Speaking Practice Task (25 minutes) Part 3: Language Focus and Expansion with Role-Play or Simulation...  [Read more]

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Coursebook Review There are thousands of English coursebooks nowadays, and one might get confused while trying to choose a coursebook for the students. I have faced this problem as well, trying to choose the coursebook for private classes with a 7-year-old student who has already learned some English before. Table of Contents Oxford Resources and Materials Coursebook Contents Feedback Structure Revision Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Elena K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Oxford Resources and Materials As far as I am concerned, Oxford University Press is known to be...  [Read more]

Sun, 20 Aug 2023 Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas What are some useful ESL teaching resource books? The market for ESL teaching books is very large and all the major publishers have some form of involvement in the production and selling of these resources. There are many different types of books and resources that are used in ESL teaching and we will consider three main categories.1) General teaching theory books2) ESL book series3) Activity resource books Table of Contents General teaching theory books ESL book series Activity Resource books Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! General teaching theory books As an ESL teacher unless you spend your entire career...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers Online Education as a Tool For Global Achievements Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post was written by our TEFL alumna who considers English proficiency as an important thing for global interactions. The Most Essential Personal Qualities of a Good English Teacher Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article was written by our TEFL graduate who shares their thoughts on the problem of teaching skills. They explain what qualities are extremely important for ESL educators. Family and Its Importance in a Student’s Development Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Do parents actually influence on students' overall development? In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on this point and expresses their...  [Read more]

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Importance of Using Online ESL Games in TEYL When it comes to learning ESL, most learners associate it with memorizing spelling rules, doing countless grammar exercises, making abstract speaking topics, and translating sentences from L1 into English. In these, there is little or no listening and speaking practice involved, making English just one of the numerous boring school subjects. However, there is so much more to learning and activating the language if the fun element is involved. This doesn't only include traditional classroom games but also learning both at school and home with the usage of modern technology. Most children born in the 2000s have grown up using iPads and mobile phones, which makes them much more...  [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]

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Breaking The Language Barrier in ESL Students We live in an ever-changing world that is becoming smaller, more connected. Communication is faster and more diverse than ever. Computers, cell phones, and social media have increased the speed of communication. Therefore, the need for people to respond quickly and the language that has become synonymous with international communication is English. Thus, the demand for learning the language is increasing at a constant rate. But though people may have the need, they may lack the confidence to take on a new language fully. Table of Contents Native vs. Second Language Making Mistakes Games in ESL Social Networks Are you ready to teach English abroad or...  [Read more]

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Relevance of Teaching Methodologies in Real Practice A method of teaching contains the techniques used by teachers to impart knowledge to students. These strategies are determined partly on the subjects to be taught and partly by the nature of the learner. In this task, I will give some examples of different teaching methodologies, compare these techniques, and explain why it is important that teachers, mostly who are teaching in a foreign country should know these methods. Table of Contents ESA Methodology PPP Methodology Effectiveness of the ESA Method Deeper Understanding Do you want to teach English to ESL students all over the world? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL certification...  [Read more]

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why is it Important for ESL Teachers to Focus on Building Confidence in Beginner Students? Learning a new language is an inherently challenging task. One important way for ESL teachers to help beginner students learn English is to focus not only on teaching language concepts but on building their confidence to experiment with the language and persist with their learning. This essay will firstly examine why building confidence is important in ESL teaching, and different strategies teachers can employ to do this, including how they interact with students and the content they choose for classes. Table of Contents Why might beginner students suffer from low confidence, and how can this interfere with their learning? Student-Teacher...  [Read more]

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]

Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories The Importance of Home Tutoring in Vietnam Tho Nguyen Destinations Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Discover the advantages of 1-on-1 home tutoring over conventional methods in Vietnam. Learn how personalized attention can improve self-esteem, address learning disabilities, and shorten the learning curve for students. Read this blog post to find out how small changes can make a big difference in a student's education. The Importance of Speaking English in Today's World Hoàng Minh Huy TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Speaking skills are crucial for language learners. Learn the benefits of fluent speaking in a second language & strategies to improve your English speaking skills in this informative blog post. Top 5 ESL Teacher...  [Read more]

Thu, 06 May 2021 Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Puppets as a Teaching Tool in the ESL Classroom Puppets can serve as a wonderful pedagogical tool in the ESL classroom. Young children are very familiar with them since puppets play a large role in the world of children's imaginative play, and they have become widely accepted as a pedagogical tool because they are valuable in serving as an anchor in overcoming the language barrier. Table of Contents Research Proven Teaching Benefits Puppets and Oral Language Skills Students Less Anxious Enhanced Listening Skills Growth of Self-Confidence 8 Ways to Incorporate Puppets into Language Teaching Songs and Chants Descriptions RolePlay Games Conversational Dialogues Grammar Review Teaching Assistant Classroom Management Are...  [Read more]

Productive and Receptive Skills in the ESL Classroom - Speaking Activities   So speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Control activities tend to be used in the study phase and here, the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need to say and how they go about saying it. So, there's a high level of structure within a controlled activity. A guided activity has slightly less structure than this and it can be used in either the study or the activate stages themselves. The final type of activity or class of activity is called creative activity and this one would be used in the activation phase. In a creative activity, we're giving a scenario or a very small amount of structure and we're asking the...  [Read more]

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Multiple Tenses: Boon or Bane for ESL Students Tenses- Usually it creates tense for many ESL students during communication. It defines and differentiates the situation by time. Is time important in communication? Yes, it is. The wrong usage of tenses changes the exact meaning of the situation, what the speaker is trying to convey. So focusing tenses in grammar is more essential than others. Still, the proper usage of tenses is a complicated and confusing task for many high-level students in competitive exams. Then, what about the ESL students? Table of Contents Teaching tenses: Single tense at a time: Multiple tenses at a time: Why it is difficult? Suggestions for teachers: Teaching activities for multiple tenses: Do you want to...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers 3 Ways to Develop a Healthy Classroom Management Strategy Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this essay, our recent TEFL graduate covers three effective ways of working on classroom management including preventative care and responding to challenging behavior. The Perfect Skillset of a Great ESL Teacher Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article is written by our TEFL graduate who contemplates the importance of teaching skills for ESL practice. Personal Teaching Experience in China and Russia Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their personal experience of working in two different countries: China and Russia. They explain what differences those countries have, and what is...  [Read more]

IAcademy Education ICan is a Canada based online ESL company committed to transforming ESL learners into dynamic, confident English speakers. ICan offers Speaking Classes, Writing Classes, and IELTS preparation courses. Ican Speaking: Young students of speaking and conversation are given interactive playful lessons with new vocabulary, phrases, and games. Our teachers are there to help guide their pronunciation, correct their mistakes, and to create as much conversation as they can from what the student has given them. Mid-level and more advanced students use an interactive but less playful program which is more based on the conversational aspect of English. Along with grammar, the students are regularly prompted by the course material to speak on the different subjects introduced. Each...  [Read more]

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Decreasing Teacher Speaking Time Imagine a classroom where the teacher is lecturing the entire class time. Student's attention span starts to flee, they begin looking for any source of entertainment. They are now distracted and unable to apply the lesson the teacher is demonstrating in the real world. Teacher lecture time should be supplemented with other methods of teaching. Students need mental breaks and activities to engage them in the lesson. Table of Contents Reasons to Decrease TTT Ways to Work on the Problem Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abigail A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers 5 Communicative ESL Speaking Activities Your Students Will Love Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This blog post was written by the ITTT TEFL expert. ✅ They share 5 ideas of EFL speaking activities for your students. Try to implement these exercises in your classroom and get impressed with your students' results! 5 Things Teaching English in China Taught Me Anastasiia Ovchinnikova Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL expert Anastasiia shares her experience of teaching English in China. She talks about 5 important things that helped her to get the most out of this work opportunity. 7 Steps to ESL Classroom Gamification Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information...  [Read more]

Mon, 27 May 2019 Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Why Classroom Games are Essential for Building Confidence in English Language Students In my years of teaching English to students aged 4 to 14, I have found that nothing brings a child more confidence than being able to do something they previously thought impossible or too challenging. Speaking in front of an entire class, having to memorize speeches or dialogues, and being put on the spot in general can all pose a huge challenge for students and can often end in hurt pride and a lowering of confidence. I have seen students hang their heads in shame as they return to their seats after giving an almost perfect speech, hyper fixating on one single mistake that elicited a laugh or two from their audience. While serious...  [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, 02 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why Teaching Productive Skills is Important Teaching is the passing on of knowledge and ideas to a particular person or group, especially about politics, religion, science or society. The ability to use a language is called language skill. When we learn a language we usually learn four for skills to effectively communicate in that language. These usually are, listening being the first, speaking the language, reading and finally writing skills. Productive skills can be defined as the production of good or useful things in large quantities or to do something well or type of workability that you learn through training and continuous practice. Table of Contents Speaking and Writing Reasons to learn productive skills Do you want to...  [Read more]

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences The Most Common Problems Students in Hong Kong Face When Learning English As English becomes the de facto global language, people all over the world are learning English for schoolwork, career advancement, or the ability to visit English-speaking countries. Even though the content they are learning is about the same, the problems they most frequently encounter are not. In this essay I will focus on the problems commonly encountered by English learners in Hong Kong. The reasons for this choice are twofold—one is that I am a Chinese American and thus familiar with Chinese culture and potential problems in English learning resulting from this culture, the other is that I want to teach English in Hong Kong in the foreseeable future and...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers How to Learn Teaching Skills: Algorithm for Self-Practice Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on the ways to work on teachers' self-development. How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how to teach grammar to Chinese native speakers. What is Easier: Group Teaching or Individual Classes? Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on group lessons and one-to-one classes. Common Problems Japanese Learners of English Experience Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In...  [Read more]

The World Of TEFL and TESOL Explained TEFL Job Interviews - What to Organize Before the Interview Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Most TEFL interviews are now conducted online. Whilst it is very important to think about what questions you may be asked and how you will answer them, of equal importance is being correctly physically set up for the interview. Here we will consider some of the major factors you need to consider before you say, “Hello”. 7 Top Tips for Writing on the Board Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas One of the most important concepts to cover in the use of the board is that of “dead time”. This is the time we are writing on the board and nothing is being said. Here we look at 7 top tips to reduce the dead time to a...  [Read more]