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Child Development and ESL Teaching - TEFL Blog
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Child Development and ESL Teaching
Teaching young children is one of a great rewarding experience. Young learners are truly natural acquirers of language. They can easily adapt and acquire language being purely taught to them.
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So how does teaching EFL contribute to child development?
Activities in TEFL
Behavior Correction
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Georgios G. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
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So how does teaching EFL contribute to child development?
At this crucial stage of these young... [Read more]
Cultural Sensitivity in the Classroom and the Geert Hofstede Model - TEFL Blog
Mon, 25 Mar 2019 Mark Crocker
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
Cultural Sensitivity in the Classroom and the Geert Hofstede Model
There are several things that a teacher should consider before entering a classroom and one very important consideration, particularly for EFL teachers, is the topic of cultural sensitivity. Because English classes are often conducted with students from a variety of different cultures and often take place in a foreign country, teachers must ensure that their teaching does not offend cultural or social norms. For example, in a Western classroom it might be quite common to divide the class into mixed-sex pairs, however, in some cultures this could be seen as offensive. So how can teachers prepare themselves for these situations?
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The... [Read more]
Communicative Approach to Teaching Grammar - TEFL Blog
Thu, 24 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Communicative Approach to Teaching Grammar
Grammar is a very important piece of learning English. Students need grammar as it gives them a handle on the language, helps them to become reflective of the language and to build fluency. The goal of a grammar lesson is to present the grammar, help the students comprehend the main points and to move into practice, which starts as controlled practice and passes to free practice. The goal for the students is to develop fluency through the grammar structure, presenting the grammar in a meaningful context.
Table of Contents
Why is grammar important?
How to start a grammar lesson?
Guided practice
Student-centered approach
Peer learning
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CLT: The Best Way to Teach Grammar - TEFL Blog
Thu, 14 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
CLT: The Best Way to Teach Grammar
"The role of grammar is perhaps one of the most controversial issues in language teaching" (Richards and Renandya, 2002, p.145). From the past to the present, there have been so many changes in methodologists' views on which grammar items should be taught and how to teach them.
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Traditional Approach
CLT
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Man C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Traditional Approach
In the past, in a traditional classroom, grammatical competence and explicit knowledge of language rules were emphasized.... [Read more]
Learning Teaching Skills: What Does it Take to be an Effective Teacher? - TEFL Blog
Thu, 08 Apr 2021 Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Learning Teaching Skills: What Does it Take to be an Effective Teacher?
Two years ago, I found myself in a remote village deep into the Himalayan Mountains in northern India. I had traveled there with the intention of volunteering in a daycare center in a Thibetan village. When I got there, I was informed that the daycare did not need help, but would I be willing to teach English to the monastery's young monks? I was very nervous at first, as I had no experience with this! Seeing their need, however, I reluctantly agreed. So I spent the next three months teaching what I could, however I could, albeit in a very disjointed and unknowledgeable way.
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TEFL Certification
Opinion
Are you... [Read more]
Top Tips for Building a Successful Course - TEFL Blog
Thu, 21 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Top Tips for Building a Successful Course
To effectively teach English Language Learners the course must be appropriately structured. To structure a course the teacher or school must first know the language ability of the students. This is necessary to enable the teacher to develop materials suitable to the students' level of understanding. It is also valuable to ensure that students in the class are of similar levels of development. If they are not some will be left us and the teacher will have to spend time with individual students which will detract from the time spent with the entire class.
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Placement test
Course Structure
Choice of Materials
Lesson Plan
Teaching Approach
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Comparing L1 and L2 Acquisition: Teaching Implications - TEFL Blog
Wed, 30 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Comparing L1 and L2 Acquisition: Teaching Implications
Language is a fascinating and unique aspect to the human species: it enables communication using a set of sounds and written symbols, combined in a coherent system. Even though a person can be proficient -to various degrees- in many languages, he or she usually has only one First Language (L1) that is the person's native language, acquired in a subconscious effortless way. On the contrary, L2 (or second language) is usually effortfully learned, involving both explicit and implicit processes. These characteristics may have important implications in L2 teaching methods, in that teachers can help students in both these processes, leveraging similarities and differences to... [Read more]
How to Become a Great Teacher With an ITTT TEFL Course - TEFL Blog
Fri, 07 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How to Become a Great Teacher With an ITTT TEFL Course
The TESOL/TEFL course from ITTT has taught me many things that will elevate my teaching. The best things that I learned from this course can be summarized in three statements. First, it is very important to be flexible in all aspects of your teaching. Second, it is crucial to be confident and adapt your teaching as each class progresses. Third, it is vital to develop a rapport and relationship with your students. While there are many different areas of my teaching that were improved by this course, I believe that these three things are the best and most important.
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Flexibility
Confidence
Rapport
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Related... [Read more]
Why Learning Phonetics is Important - TEFL Blog
Fri, 22 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Why Learning Phonetics is Important
Linguistics is the scientific study of the human language and its structure, and as any other science, it is divided into different branches or areas of analysis. One of these divisions examines the articulation of sounds and has a name that corresponds to its function: phonetics. Despite the crucial character it plays in its scientific field, the one it performs in teaching is considered roughly secondary. Nonetheless, a change in role assignment could improve the learning of the English language immensely.
Table of Contents
Speaking as a skill
What aspects should you teach?
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Group Teaching as Opposed to Individual Teaching - TEFL Blog
Wed, 20 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Group Teaching as Opposed to Individual Teaching
Teaching English as a foreign language can be done one of two ways: teaching a group of students or by teaching on a one-to-one basis.
Table of Contents
Teaching students in groups are very common in most classrooms.
There are some advantages to teaching one-to-one courses.
For teaching large groups, it can be made easy if you adopt the right teaching activities.
In the case of one-to-one teaching, classes can be physically and mentally exhausting for learners and teachers.
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Xiaobing W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent... [Read more]
Learning to Read, Reading to Learn: How Reading Can Influence Language Acquisition - TEFL Blog
Wed, 25 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Learning to Read, Reading to Learn: How Reading Can Influence Language Acquisition
There has been a wide body of research regarding the positive effects that reading has on a student's literacy levels. Introducing more reading material, and, even cultivating a love of reading in the classroom, can thus improve a student's fluency in a new language.
Table of Contents
How does Reading help?
Acquiring a Language through Constant Motivation
Developing Fluency
The Level of Exposure to a New Language
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sher L. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
How... [Read more]
Increasing Teacher’s Confidence - TEFL Blog
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Increasing Teacher’s Confidence
For a class to be interesting and beneficial to both the teacher and the students, quite a lot of things have to be taken into consideration. Smooth sailing of the classes and success of the students in acquiring the English language can largely be attributed to the teacher's character and/or behavior. The confidence of a teacher has great meaning as it gives birth to students' confidence in learning English.
Table of Contents
What is Confidence?
Ways to Work On Confidence
Self-Education
Setting Up Goals
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tendai K. Please note that this blog post might not... [Read more]
Behavioral and Cognitive Development Theory in Teaching - TEFL Blog
Wed, 01 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Behavioral and Cognitive Development Theory in Teaching
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Behavioral and Cognitive Development Theory in Teaching
"Teachers must learn how to teach… they need only to be taught more effective ways of teaching", (B. F. Skinner 1972). Understanding how these theories of learning suggested by philosophers can bring or has brought about a change in teaching helps teachers to be very effective in the classroom as they aid in shaping the lives of young men and women for the future. Two great theories of learning that have impacted teaching are Behaviorism and Cognitive development theory.
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Behavioral and Cognitive Development Theory in Teaching
Why... [Read more]
The Power of Stories for English Learning in Early Childhood - TEFL Blog
Mon, 20 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Power of Stories for English Learning in Early Childhood
"Our lives gain meaning only when we tell our story". -David Steindl-Rast. In our case, stories not only add meaning to our lives in general but are very important in rendering language learning interesting and creative as our specific subject essay will demonstrate. Stories are an effective model for learning the English language through which we can develop the four language skills writing, speaking, listening, and reading. So why and how stories can enable us to effectively learn the English language?
Table of Contents
Why stories are so important for English learning in early childhood?
How stories can be important for English learning in early childhood? Or how can... [Read more]
How Does Learning Motivation Impact Students' Learning? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 15 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Does Learning Motivation Impact Students' Learning?
Learning a second language such as English is a process that requires practicing output and also input language, however, there must be challenges for the student during the learning process, especially when they are not yet able to express ideas or not being able to communicate with others through the second language. Students may be demotivated in their learning when they find failures using the second language, another possible reason to cause low-motivation is that they are not tentatively willing to join the course, as they may be required to join the course by their workplace.
Table of Contents
The Problem of Low Motivation
How to Find out Students' Level of English?
The... [Read more]
The Importance of Reading for Bilingual Multicultural Children - TEFL Blog
Thu, 26 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Importance of Reading for Bilingual Multicultural Children
Raising bilingual kids is nowadays becoming a common family matter, it is easy to find multicultural families around the world these days. According to research published on the website Trend, global migration has highly increased since the 1960s. People seeking a better life with financial and educational gains, resulting in multicultural families with bilingual or multilingual children.
Table of Contents
The Mix of Cultures in a Family
Why Reading is Needed
Isn't it Enough to Speak?
Reading for Training Other Abilities
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This post was written by our TEFL certification... [Read more]
6 Steps to Becoming a TEFL Trainer - TEFL Blog
Wed, 10 Oct 2018 Linda Dunsmore
TEFL Information
6 Steps to Becoming a TEFL Trainer
One of the routes you might want to think about taking after your TEFL course is to train other people how to teach English. It can be very rewarding seeing people who have never taught before gain in confidence and ability over a short space of time. What does it take?
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STEP 1: Complete your TEFL course
STEP 2: Continue your formal studies
STEP 3: Get Experience
STEP 4: Choose the right location
STEP 5: Find a company to work for
STEP 6: Plan to settle into the job
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STEP 1: Complete your TEFL course
The first... [Read more]
Motivation: Online vs. Onsite TEFL Courses - TEFL Blog
Thu, 16 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Motivation: Online vs. Onsite TEFL Courses
During my career as an educator, I have had the opportunity to teach English as a second language using both classroom and private tutoring platforms. My undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin - Madison led me to a major in Communications.
Table of Contents
General requirements
Foreign experience
Online teaching
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph E. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
General requirements
One course, in particular, required an internship at a local elementary school where I worked with students of... [Read more]
How to Decrease Teacher Talking Time - TEFL Blog
Wed, 04 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How to Decrease Teacher Talking Time
TTT stands for Teacher Talking Time, 'of which teachers can't have too little. Teachers will speak more in class, when present knowledge, manage the classroom, correct students' mistakes, praise students or provide feedback, and set up or demonstrate the classroom activities.
Table of Contents
Examples
Ways to Solve the Problem
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Tang C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Examples
Here are some inadequacies of too much TTT. Firstly, TTT is opposite to STT (Student Talking Time), and more TTT means less STT.... [Read more]
Non-trivial Ways of Teaching Speaking and Writing - TEFL Blog
Fri, 02 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Non-trivial Ways of Teaching Speaking and Writing
Many language learners will have the difficulty of creating something new in the targeted language. Reading something written out loud is not as challenging or rewarding as reading your own work. When a language learner starts creating her own work, then she can start feeling productive and confident in the targeted language. There are many different ways of teaching productive skills such as speaking or writing.
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Natural skills
Higher level of interest
Types of writing
Teaching writing
What is speaking
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate... [Read more]
The Importance of Lesson Planning for a TEFL Classroom - TEFL Blog
Mon, 05 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Importance of Lesson Planning for a TEFL Classroom
A lesson plan, developed by a teacher, is a detailed description of the lesson. It can be also considered as a guide providing step-by-step the direction in which the teacher designs his/her lesson. Is it really necessary for an effective lesson? If so, What makes it so crucial?
Table of Contents
Clear Lesson Procedure
Achieving Results
Creativity
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Beste D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Clear Lesson Procedure
As mentioned above, being a teachers' route-map, a lesson plan sheds... [Read more]
Right Evaluation Methods to Keep Students Motivated - TEFL Blog
Sun, 21 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Right Evaluation Methods to Keep Students Motivated
Many factors can impact students' motivation such as social, psychological, educational, economical, etc. However, a teacher can still play an important role to keep the students motivated. In Afghanistan's educational tradition, students are often compared to each other, and they are ranked based on tests and exams throughout the course. Additionally, the teacher corrects every student's assignment. Notice the word "correct" has been used instead of "mark" or "assess." The teacher will try to point out every single mistake or error. Having six years of English language teaching experience, plus observing my colleagues' and students' behaviour, and studying the methods of foreign... [Read more]
The 3 Basic Functions of a Good Teacher - TEFL Blog
Tue, 14 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The 3 Basic Functions of a Good Teacher
Teachers play a number of very important roles in the education process. Education forms a significant part of everyone's lives as it can contribute directly towards future possibilities and the roles we can play in society. This essay will discuss three of the most important roles played by teachers. The first is the role is that of a facilitator of learning and education, the second role is that of the role model, and the final is the role of the mentor and motivator.
Table of Contents
1. Educator
2. Role Model
3. Mentor
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Monika G.
1. Educator... [Read more]
Helping ESL Students to Cope With Stress - TEFL Blog
Tue, 24 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Helping ESL Students to Cope With Stress
Learning English is now an undeniable requirement is this modern world and students experience an enormous amount of stress when acquiring this new skill; communicating in a new language.
Table of Contents
Sources of Stress
Classroom Atmosphere
Possible Activities
Evaluation
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Annette T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Sources of Stress
Regardless of their age, whether they are young learners, adults or perhaps students with specific purposes they may all experience anxiety and stress along the way.... [Read more]
The Importance of Storytelling for English Learning in Early Childhood - TEFL Blog
Tue, 31 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Importance of Storytelling for English Learning in Early Childhood
Throughout the modern and ancient world, across all cultures and empires, generations have been inspired, entertained and educated through the process of storytelling.
Table of Contents
Skills Development
Book Choice
There is vast research on the benefits of reading to a young learner.
The British philosopher Edmund Burke once said, "Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting"
Dr. Seuss famed American writer said; 'The more that you read, the more that you'll know. The more that you know, the more places you'll go."
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Before such modern practices of documentation, word of... [Read more]
The Importance of Different Students’ Profiles - TEFL Blog
Wed, 14 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Importance of Different Students’ Profiles
Every student requires something different to learn English successfully. Aside from one-on-one lessons, teachers usually will not have the time to dedicate extensive attention to each student, though. Not every English-learner will be given a unique lesson catered to their needs. However, teachers can develop plans that fit best for general types of students based on their profiles. Factors such as students' age, language level, and motivation for learning helps teachers identify a student profile and thus develop the best lessons to get them engaged.
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Beginners
Young students
Motivation
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course... [Read more]
Why Teaching Productive Skills is Important - TEFL Blog
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]
How Mandarin Chinese Helps Me in Teaching English - TEFL Blog
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?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Marlan S. Please note that this blog post might not... [Read more]
The Global English Expansion - TEFL Blog
Tue, 30 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The Global English Expansion
I briefly remember the first time I recited in front of our classroom during a Public Speaking subject, I was tasked to recite a short story about Florence, the Nightingale. I still remember the words as if it were only yesterday. After finishing the task, our then professor told us about the importance of learning the English vocabulary and consider it as our second language if we wanted to succeed in the corporate world. Eight years after my recitation, I find myself discussing business matters with Italian suppliers in Treviso, Italy and I will not forget the surprised look on their faces: They were amazed at how a middle-aged woman like me, who comes from a developing country, can communicate with... [Read more]
Learning Modes: Adults vs. Children - TEFL Blog
Tue, 27 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Learning Modes: Adults vs. Children
The purpose of this essay is to explore the differences between child and adult learning styles.Much has been already written about brain development. Throughout the human life span, the early ages, one through ten years is the human brain's most efficient time for learning.
Table of Contents
Ways of Perceiving Information
Children
Teenagers
Adults
Creativity
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ralph D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Ways of Perceiving Information
Children
Children are then like sponges soaking up the language.... [Read more]