How Do You Teach Phonics

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Key Phonics Sounds to Early Learners A key barrier to achieving fluency for ESL students is a mastery of individual phonics sounds. My experience with ESL students from Southeast Asia has led me to focus on techniques for the particularly difficult L, R, M, and P phonics sounds. In this essay, I propose methods for using the straight arrow ESA lesson plan to introduce and drill phonics sounds with young learners. Table of Contents The Engagement Stage The Study Stage The Activate Stage Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ethan W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The...  [Read more]

Charlotte Lam I’m Charlotte, an English kindergarten teacher in Hong Kong. I have been teaching English for two years and recently received my teaching registration in New Zealand. I’m looking forward to traveling and teaching around the world. Read my articles How Teachers Can Cope with Different Changes in an EFL School | ITTT | TEFL Blog Charlotte Lam TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Changes in school are a very common situation, especially during these days when there is so much uncertainty in society—for instance, the pandemic situation, the economy, etc. We have experienced a lot of changes in school, including school suspension, online teaching, teaching during the pandemic, etc. In this post, I will outline how to cope with changes and what you can...  [Read more]

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Pronunciation Mistakes of Japanese Students This piece will discuss the difficulties faced by Japanese learners of English regarding English pronunciation and suggest methods to help learners in different age groups overcome them. It posits that most difficulties stem from the differences in phonology between the English alphabet and the Japanese kana system. Table of Contents Differences in the Alphabetic Systems Ways to Overcome Difficulties Working with Adults How to Approach Young Students Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Niall M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of...  [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]

Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories 5 Things You Can Do to Make Your Life Easier for Teaching English in Taiwan Christian Davey Destinations Alumni Experiences Are you interested in moving to Taiwan? Check out these 5 top tips to make your life easier for teaching English in Taiwan. What Learning a Second Language Can Teach You About Your Own Regan McAllister TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Are you interested in teaching your native language? Consider learning a foreign language first! Here's what learning a second language can teach you about your own. 8 Effective Reward Systems for ESL Learners in an Online Classroom Anna Domiczek Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Reward systems can be a very powerful tool for teachers in an online environment. Having a...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Ways How Reading Influences Language Acquisition In this paper, we will attempt to show how important reading is and how it can influence language acquisition and its development. We will mainly focus on primary school pupils as most children start to learn to read around six or seven years of age. With this aim in mind, we will first try to define what reading is and carry on by providing a description of the different types of readings. In a second phase, we will look at the reasons that encourage pupils to read and finally the type of reading material that can be presented to them Table of Contents Definition Type of readings 1. Phonics-based reading 2. Read-as-a-whole approach Reasons and benefits of reading 1. Reading for...  [Read more]

Fri, 20 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Phonetics: How can Phonemic Awareness Facilitate Effective Reading? Phonemics according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is a branch of linguistic analysis that consists of the study of phonemes. In other words, it could be explained as the study of the sound system of a given language and the analysis and classification of its phonemes. Phonemics awareness, on the other hand, is the ability to examine language independently to its meaning and to manipulate its component sound[1]. Table of Contents Difference between phonemes and phonics Universal way of acquiring a language Why phonemes are important? Correlation between phonemic awareness and spelling ability Teachers' Role Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL...  [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]

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Most Effective Strategies to Teach Reading Reading competence involves making sense of the written text and requires the complex interaction of knowledge and skills. When children learn to read, they need to learn to integrate the use of visual, phonological and semantic cues and relate to their own experience to construct meaning. An effective reading instruction thus involves a combination of phonological instruction (decoding) and whole language (reading for meaning), with the use of authentic literary experience. This paper will provide a summary of essential areas of reading instruction, coupled with various strategies that I have used in my work as an educational psychologist and teacher, helping young children to read....  [Read more]

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What are Common Problems for English Learners in Hong Kong? I have been teaching English in an education center for three months. Even though it's not a long period but I have seen several challenges that these Chinese native students are facing while learning English. Especially for younger learners aged roughly between three and eight years old. Table of Contents Phonics Confidence The problem of using students' native language Grammar issues Motivation Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Elsa C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Phonics While learning the alphabet, I have...  [Read more]

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning Difficulties: How to Support Them Within The Classroom Learning difficulties can found in all teaching environments, be it a classroom of mixed ability students, a one-to-one tutoring session, teaching EFL or online teaching. Learning difficulties affect all age groups, both genders, and all languages and cultures, therefore a good teacher must be able to both foresee and prepare for supporting a student's learning difficulties. This is even more important when teaching EFL students as unless these difficulties are met and coping methods are established then the student will struggle to make any progress in their learning English as a second language. Table of Contents My Personal Experience Real-Time Lessons Learning...  [Read more]

Legitimate TEFL Centers Check out tefl tesol about Legitimate TEFL Centers 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 C.S - Thailand said: TEFL for non native speakersI?m a thai national born and raised in thailand. Being a non native english speaker, I?ve faced many difficulties in learning and understanding English since the beginning. Pronunciation was difficult, grammar was difficult, and I believe learning and just REMEMBERING all the tenses, modals, and verb forms would have been nearly impossible without the fortunate help I had from many American, Filipino, and European friends,...  [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, 13 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Teaching Reading to Younger Groups of Students There are four basic skills in any language: receptive skills – reading and listening, and productive skills – speaking and writing. Usually, when we learn a new language, we tend to access our learning process and result by checking how our productive skills are and forget that before we can the product, we need to receive first. Data says that the production of every 100 words in writing needs a receipt of 1000 words in reading which means to be able to produce anything, one must get as much as 10 times receipt. Similarly in listening and speaking. Table of Contents Receptive Skills: Writing vs. Reading Decoding Reading aloud for fluency Learning how to read...  [Read more]

Job For EFL Teachers at Jolly Kingdom in Hong Kong Date posted:2018-10-04 | Writer: Jolly Kingdom English Learning Centre | Email: [email protected] Jolly Kingdom is a vibrant, successful and jolly place to work and learn. Jolly Kingdom is a well-respected, professional phonics training centre with over 40 branches. We teach English through our systematic phonics, grammar and creative writing programmes to students from Kindergarten to Primary (age: 3 – 12). We also have classes for very young children, accompanied by a parent, where they have fun with English through play and songs. Our goal is to equip students with a strong foundation in reading, writing, speaking and listening. We teach in a pleasant and joyful way so that kids will learn with fun. With small classes (max 6...  [Read more]

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 7 Ways to Teach Reading The above is a topic that I want to particularly used to teaching reading to young learners. There are some points given below, they are. Table of Contents 1. Use songs and nursery rhymes to build phonemic awareness 2. Make simple word cards at home 3. Engage your child in a print-rich environment 4. Play word games at home or in the car 5. Understand the core skills involved in teaching kids to read 6. Play with magnet letters 7. Harness the power of technology to keep your child engaged Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Angeline J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Centre Internet TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Centre Internet 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 A.J. - Japan said: Problems for Learners in JapanEnglish is a compulsory subject in all japanese schools and is studied for a minimum of seven years if not longer. Very few of these students, however, will become proficient enough to be considered at an advanced and in many cases not even an intermediate level. Those few that do excel at English are students that are motivated from outside of the classroom and/or have spent time abroad in a country where English is commonly...  [Read more]

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Typical Challenges Faced by Teachers in a Kindergarten Class Teaching English in kindergarten is more than just teaching a child how to pronounce words. If you want to be a dedicated teacher, and you want to successfully teach the children, it is essential to teach them how to follow rules and instructions. The following paragraphs will try to equip you with the most important ingredients required to be a successful kindergarten teacher. With having more than 2 ½ years of experience teaching English at a kindergarten, I am certain that the most important thing a teacher has to do is to build a strong rapport with the children. Table of Contents Behavior Management and Classroom Rules Teaching Phonics to Children Building...  [Read more]

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Troubles Faced by Students from China When Learning English If you think of Chinese ESL students it is safe to assume that most teachers would immediately worry about how they should teach phonics to Mandarin speakers. It is also true that the media has portrayed the Chinese accent as one of the most challenging to understand or even get rid of. Table of Contents Personal Experience Phonetical Errors Grammar Challenges Problems Due to Geographical Origin of Students Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Graciela G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Personal Experience Usually,...  [Read more]

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Effectiveness of Online English Learning For Young Children A lot can be said about the connections teachers make when coming face to face with their students for the first time. Eye contact and smiles are tools teachers should use to immediately create a welcoming environment. There is nothing better to put a nervous child at ease, especially when spoken words are not an option. Can these same tools be effective through a computer screen? Can a child, half a world away, learn from a stranger they can't understand? Is it possible to convey warmth and a desire to teach through a screen? Is it possible to teach a language? Table of Contents Judging from the previous background Challenges of the First Attempts Rapport in Online...  [Read more]

What is the best platform to teach English online? Teaching English online is now firmly embedded in the TEFL world and many thousands of teachers find it a convenient way to earn a living without having to leave home or when traveling the world. However, despite not actually working in a physical classroom, online teachers still have to meet the same kind of criteria as those working in a traditional classroom environment. So, what do you need in order to take advantage of this rapidly growing sector of EFL teaching? Requirements for teaching English online The requirements for teaching online vary from one employer to the next, but there are a few common factors that many look for. Most online employers will expect you to have completed a TEFL course of at least 120 hours as this is the...  [Read more]

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences My Diverse TEFL Experience My own teaching experience, though not as extensive as many seasoned teachers, is quite diverse. I have taught English class to middle and high school students in the US public school system, worked for an alternative school for students with behavior problems, taught in a language training school, taught in a bilingual Montessori kindergarten, tutored numerous students one-on-one, and I've taught many different kinds of online classes. Currently, I work as a course designer and an actor, filming fun videos to teach Chinese students English through an interactive online app. Table of Contents Reasons to leave a public school Trip to China What I loved there Work in an online education start-up A new...  [Read more]

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why Does ESL Education Impacts Language Acquisition? I'm a non-native English speaker who never once benefited from an effective ESL program in her entire school years. It's rather ironic that I became an ESL teacher and taught English for six years, essentially preaching what I had never practiced myself. Table of Contents My Personal ESL Experience Working as an ESL Teacher International Marriage Motivation Challenge First Language Acquisition Do you want to teach English abroad or online? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Somy L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the...  [Read more]

EFL Teacher Needed in Hong Kong For Young Learners Date posted:2018-09-10 | Writer: Explorer Island | Email: [email protected] Explorer Island is an independently owned learning centre that focuses on creating a positive learning environment for its students. We are currently looking for a Native level English Speaker with CELTA, TESOL, or equivalent ESL training, to teach children aged 1-12. We are known for putting the children’s well-being first as well as delivering a positive and fun working environment. We believe that we deliver a progressive, child-centered approach to teaching that delivers results, and that happy learners are fast learners. Explorer Island has two locations at the moment. Our main branch is based in Po Lam. This is easily accessible by public...  [Read more]

What is the best platform to teach English online? For those aspiring to teach English from the convenience of their homes or while traveling, several online platforms stand out in the TEFL world. Among the top platforms are Cambly, Italki and EF Education First. Just like traditional classroom educators, online English teachers are expected to meet specific criteria, ensuring quality and professionalism in this booming sector. Table of Contents Requirements for teaching English online Preply EF Education First Cambly iTalki SkimaTalk StarKid Protostar LatinHire Requirements for teaching English online The requirements for teaching online vary from one employer to the next, but there are a few common factors that many look for. Most online employers will expect you to have completed a...  [Read more]

Sat, 30 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Phonetical Challenges for Vietnamese English Learners Phonology is the system of sounds that exist within a particular language, while phonetics is the study of how speech sounds are produced. One difficulty for all learners of a second language is learning how to produce new sounds by moving the mouth, lips, and tongue in new ways. Several other languages also share the Roman alphabet with English but do not pronounce letters and combinations of letters the same way. These learners need to learn the English phonology so that when they read English, they will know how to pronounce the words they read correctly, and so that they speak English with a more native-sounding accent. Table of Contents English in Vietnam Language...  [Read more]

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 5 Strategies for Teaching English to Adult Learners Online Online English teaching has become more and more popular and worldwide, it not only can save a lot of time but also supply many possibilities to study at any time, any place as long as you have wifi. Nowadays, many adults choose online courses because of the convenience. I have taught adults online for almost a year, I chose this job because the working time is more flexible, and also I feel self-satisfied when I see my students making progress. But how to teach English to adults online? Table of Contents 1. Planning 2. Building Their Confidence 3. Know their needs well and monitor their progress 4. Choose Appropriate Activities 5. Create a Positive Atmosphere Do you want to...  [Read more]

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Phonetics and Phonology in the ESL Classroom What is phonology? Most students have not even heard about it. Whenever I ask my students whether they know or have ever learned about phonetics, the same answers come out, "No, we don't know about it at all". It is no wonder they reply like this because there is no phonetic teaching lesson in English classes from KG to high school here in my country. As for me, I got to study about this only when I attended college. Even then, it wasn't taught comprehensively and I only learned very little. So I couldn't read nor write phonetic symbols very well. Thus I thought it was the most difficult part of studying English. Table of Contents Reasons to pay attention to phonetics Phonetics in the...  [Read more]

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Useful Techniques to Help Your Students Cope with Stress Learning English can be a daunting task. There is a great amount of vocabulary, a phonics system that is filled with exceptions, grammar that doesn't always follow its own rules, and pronunciation that can be difficult to reproduce. A failure to speak and understand English effectively can have damaging effects on a student's life. They could miss out on a crucial job opportunity, or lose face at a social gathering. It is for these reasons and many more that learning English is often a stressful task for students. It is therefore of vital importance to reduce the amount of stress that a student feels when learning English. Table of Contents Understanding students Choosing a...  [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]