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How Can English Influence a Student's Career - TEFL Blog
Fri, 28 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How Can English Influence a Student's Career
English is my first language, however, I studied Spanish throughout high school growing up in the Midwest and eventually received a Master's degree in Spanish Literature. I learned to speak Spanish very well after becoming a high school Spanish teacher for eight years and then a principal for elementary and secondary schools for 26 more years speaking Spanish to new immigrant students and parents the whole time.
Table of Contents
Bilingualism
Confidence
Advantages and Perspectives
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rex P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the... [Read more]
The 2 Pronunciation Problems ESL Students Suffer From in Japan - TEFL Blog
Fri, 19 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The 2 Pronunciation Problems ESL Students Suffer From in Japan
There are several pronunciation problems that students of English will face in Japan; however, I will focus on two.
Table of Contents
1. Differences in the phonetic systems of two languages
2. Lack of exposure to authentic English resources
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Brandie K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
1. Differences in the phonetic systems of two languages
The first of these problems they face is the fact that Japanese doesn't have some of the same sounds in its' alphabet as English... [Read more]
There Is No L (And Other Differences Between Japanese and English) - TEFL Blog
Fri, 18 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
There Is No L (And Other Differences Between Japanese and English)
Throughout high school and college, I mainly focused on learning how to speak Japanese as my second language. Unlike English, Japanese is a fairly phonetic language. Two of its three writing systems, hiragana and katakana, are phonetic. This makes it easy for foreigners to learn because each syllable, also known as sound clusters in some circles, is almost always said exactly how it is spelled. The third writing system, kanji, is not and, as such, is much more difficult for foreigners to learn because kanji are essentially pictures that describe their meaning. They are much more difficult to learn and use in everyday speech.
Table of Contents
Differences in... [Read more]
Why Is English Challenging to Learn for Japanese Students? - TEFL Blog
Wed, 17 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Why Is English Challenging to Learn for Japanese Students?
Japanese are known for being disciplined, dedicated, and hardworking individuals not only in their work but also in other aspects of their life like hobbies and studies. But why is it difficult for them to learn English despite their strong dedication, patience, efforts, and determination?
Table of Contents
My Teaching Experience
But still, the Japanese cannot speak English, why is that?
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Princess D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
My Teaching Experience
I've been teaching English... [Read more]
How Discipline Affects Motivation In and Out of Japanese Classrooms - TEFL Blog
Wed, 13 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
How Discipline Affects Motivation In and Out of Japanese Classrooms
I work in two schools. I am an assistant language teacher at one commercial (low-level English) high school, and an integrated (high-level English) academic junior high and high school. I have had experiences with different kinds of students, Japanese-English teachers, and classroom atmospheres. In Japan, students take an entrance exam to get into high school. If they scored low on the entrance exam, then they are placed in the lowest ranking class. Each school has a certain number of classrooms for each grade. Both of my high schools have six classes total for each grade. There are usually around forty to forty-two students in each class as well. Teaching forty... [Read more]
Alumni TEFL Chat with Maddy & Georgia - Two Aussie Sisters Teaching English in Japan - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Alumni TEFL Chat with Maddy & Georgia - Two Aussie Sisters Teaching English in Japan
07/08/2021
all right hi hey everyone hi as you can see it's not only me this
week welcome to our live stream we have guests today i'm super happy about it hi maddie hi
georgia hello hey so yeah back here another for another week and
i'm live on a different day i usually go live on fridays so today is very special
and also because we have guests so i'm super happy about that
and yeah if you are watching if you can see us if you can hear us please just leave a high in the comments that would
be really cool and where you're watching from i'm always really curious about where people are watching from
and um yeah i'm in south korea my name is linda from itt if you don't know me and i'm yeah
about an hour... [Read more]
How Can Teachers Develop the Productive Skills of Japanese Junior High School Students - TEFL Blog
Thu, 25 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Can Teachers Develop the Productive Skills of Japanese Junior High School Students
Change is coming to the way that English is taught in Japanese public schools. The changes to the curriculum by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) increase the teaching of English at all levels of schooling. The goal of this change is, in the words of Ikuko Tsuboya-Newel, founder and chair of Tokyo International School, "The government has decided that beginning in 2020 all high school graduates must achieve a level of English equivalent to B1" ("Why do Japanese have trouble learning English?", The Japan Times, October 29, 2017). To achieve that goal, high school entrance exams are expected to include more... [Read more]
How to Teach English Knowledge Instead of Teaching Skills - TEFL Blog
Thu, 25 Feb 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
How to Teach English Knowledge Instead of Teaching Skills
What comes to mind when one thinks of an English classroom? Is it organized rows of desks filled with students writing vocabulary and grammar into their notebooks while the teacher talks in the front? This is the classic image of a classroom. A student goes to school to learn what they don't already know. When teaching English, it can be easy to fall into the trap of rote memorization and reliance on grammar and vocabulary. However, is this method effective? Does this way of learning motivate students to become lifelong learners of a foreign language? It is less useful to teach students many things than to teach them the skills needed to... [Read more]
My Experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japanese Elementary and Junior High Schools - TEFL Blog
Thu, 13 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
My Experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japanese Elementary and Junior High Schools
I am in my 3rd year of working in the countryside of Japan as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) in public elementary and junior high schools. An ALT's official job description is to be the assistant to a Japanese Teacher of Language (JTL). In my experience, especially in elementary schools, the ALT is not seen as an assistant but as "the English teacher" since the regular homeroom teacher has no training or experience with ESL. In most cases, the ALT has a degree in a field unrelated to teaching and has no qualifications.
Table of Contents
Japanese Education System
ALT Training
My Unexpected Discovery
Language Course Peculiarities
Do... [Read more]
How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking - TEFL Blog
Wed, 09 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How to Help Chinese Native Speakers to Follow English Grammar Rules in Speaking
Grammar is the rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in a natural language. Simply put, grammar is the general rule of a language. Language is logical; grammar tells us in which order we say words. It's about how words become phrases; how words and phrases become sentences and how sentences become language.
Table of Contents
The Essence of Grammar
Different languages have different grammar rules
How to teach grammar (EFL: how to teach Chinese students English)
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Yang S. Please note that this blog post... [Read more]
An Australian Amongst American Textbooks in Japan: ✅ Teaching in a Country that Values American English - TEFL Blog
Tue, 15 Dec 2020 Maddy Payne
Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
An Australian Amongst American Textbooks in Japan: ✅ Teaching in a Country that Values American English
Assistant Language Teachers in Japan come from different countries worldwide, bringing different kinds of English with them. In my experience, American English is often the most sought-after version of English. Some countries highly value Language Teachers from the USA, which often matches their American-style textbooks and resources. Sometimes people are even overlooked for job opportunities due to their Australian accent and British English background. Well, Japan is no different in this regard. Many Japanese schools hold American English in high regard, so what is it like being an Australian-English... [Read more]
Common Issues Japanese Learners Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 22 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Common Issues Japanese Learners Face When Learning English
Through my experience as an Assistant Language Teacher in Japan, there have been numerous difficulties and challenges my students face in learning the English language. My students are primarily between the ages of 5 and 15. These challenges involve the pronunciation difficulties the students face coming from Japanese pronunciation, as well as the methodology of teaching English in Japan They may not apply to all of Japan but are definitely prominent issues within my area.
Table of Contents
Pronunciation
The Problem of Making Mistakes
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate James W.... [Read more]
Several Points Which Can Surprise You about Teaching EFL in a Kindergarten - TEFL Blog
Wed, 25 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Several Points Which Can Surprise You about Teaching EFL in a Kindergarten
I am an EFL teacher in a kindergarten in Japan. I have two years of experience teaching English in kindergarten. It is only a 30 minutes session every day. In my first week, I made a lesson plan for them that is good for one month. I was surprised that they didn't get the lesson, memorized it or even pronounce it properly. Then the lesson plan I had to prepare last for about 3 to 4 months. I find it hard teaching English as a foreign language to my students even though I am only teaching them the basic vocabularies and some nursery rhymes. But their curiosity in the English language and their eagerness to talk with a foreigner in school helps me to find my... [Read more]
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]
Which TEFL/TESOL Course is Best if I Want to Teach ESL Online? - TEFL Blog
Fri, 08 Sep 2023 Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Which TEFL/TESOL Course is Best if I Want to Teach ESL Online?
In today's interconnected world, the demand for English language proficiency continues to rise, opening up a world of opportunities for those who can teach it effectively. Whether you're an aspiring English teacher or considering a career change, understanding the nuances of TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certifications is crucial.
Table of Contents
TEFL or TESOL: What are they, and what's the difference?
Types of TEFL or TESOL courses
In-Class TEFL/TESOL Courses
Online TEFL/TESOL Courses
Combined TEFL/TESOL Courses
Is teaching online different from in-class?
In... [Read more]
The Use of Games in the Classroom - TEFL Blog
Fri, 07 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Use of Games in the Classroom
I have been teaching English as an assistant language teacher in Japan for the past 4 years. I have taught all grades from kindergarten through 9th grade, and have worked with many teachers with a variety of teaching styles. In this essay I will look at the use of games in the foreign language classroom, drawing from my experiences to look at several specific games and discuss how they help students learn and use English.
Table of Contents
1. Games are a good way to make class fun, increasing student motivation while using English.
2. Creating activities with existing resources
3. A possibility to communicate
4. Examples of games
Do you want to teach English abroad or online? Take a TEFL course!... [Read more]
How Relationships With Your Students Influence Their Learning Process - TEFL Blog
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
How Relationships With Your Students Influence Their Learning Process
There are many different types of teachers in the world: funny ones, boring ones, excitable ones, monotonous ones, stern ones and ones that are just too laid back. In my lifetime, I have had many teachers and experienced many different types of teaching styles. As I considered all these in retrospect, I realized there was a common theme in the handful of teachers that had a special place in my heart. These are the teachers that not only communicated genuine care for me and my success but exuded enthusiasm for what they did. This life in them changed my perspective on subjects I had always detested, like algebra and calculus! These teachers have played a major role... [Read more]
What Helped Me in Building Relationships With English Learners in Japan - TEFL Blog
Thu, 06 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
What Helped Me in Building Relationships With English Learners in Japan
From both taking this course and my experience in teaching Japanese children English, I have seen the importance and impact of establishing rapport with students right at the start of the class. Starting from the first lesson, a teacher must establish what kind of relationship they desire to have with the students. That relationship must often be with a relaxed atmosphere where the students can feel that they are supported by the teacher. Thus from the very first lesson, the teacher must get to work on getting to know basic information about the students. What kind of interests do they have? Why are they learning English? At what level are they currently in... [Read more]
Live TEFL/TESOL Q&A: Ask Us Anything! - TEFL Blog
Wed, 23 Jun 2021 Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Live TEFL/TESOL Q&A: Ask Us Anything!
Welcome guys, Linda here from ITTT for another live session. I'm so happy to be here today, the weather is great today, the lighting is good. If you were watching last week it was pretty much like the end of the world weather here, but today it's great, I feel good. If you can see me and hear me please drop a hi into the comments. We are live on Facebook and also on YouTube and if you're listening to this as a podcast episode thanks for the download. We always turn our live sessions into podcast episodes and you can find them on all major podcast platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts etc. It's called the TEFL and TESOL Podcast by ITTT.
Table of... [Read more]
The Peak Hiring Seasons for Teaching English Abroad - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The Peak Hiring Seasons for Teaching English Abroad
02/20/2023
hello welcome Linda here from ITT back
this week with another live session welcome welcome today we're going to talk about the top hiring seasons for
teaching English abroad so we're going to cover different regions Europe Asia
Latin America Central America um and different countries specifically
in these regions and the top hiring seasons for each of those countries so
you know exactly when to apply for the job for an English teaching job in the
country that you want to teach in so um a couple weeks ago we talked about
um tefl interviews and how to find jobs Etc so now this is kind of part of this
series and just to yeah give you an overview of the top hiring season so
that you know exactly when you should be applying for... [Read more]
Live TEFL/TESOL Q&A: Ask Us Anything! - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Live TEFL/TESOL Q&A: Ask Us Anything!
Welcome guys, Linda here from ITTT for another live session. I'm so happy to be here today, the weather is great today, the lighting is good. If you were watching last week it was pretty much like the end of the world weather here, but today it's great, I feel good. If you can see me and hear me please drop a hi into the comments. We are live on Facebook and also on YouTube and if you're listening to this as a podcast episode thanks for the download. We always turn our live sessions into podcast episodes and you can find them on all major podcast platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts etc. It's called the TEFL and TESOL Podcast by ITTT.
I see there are some people already here. Hi Gwen, thanks for joining today. We also have... [Read more]
Teaching Abroad: How to Save Money & Pay off Loans - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Teaching Abroad: How to Save Money & Pay off Loans
02/24/2023
hi welcome Linda here back this week with another live session for ITT the
tefl and tesol training um yeah thank you so much for joining
and for being here today uh if you're seeing this for the first time thank you
so much for tuning in I'm going to introduce myself in a little bit and I'm also going to share a 30 off discount
opportunity today um that you can use to uh get 30 off any
of itt's tefl or tesol courses today so
we have a wide variety of different courses um you can take a look at our website tefl
course.net and you'll see all of the different courses that we offer if you are not new here and you have seen me
before and you have joined this live stream before thank you so much
um I really appreciate all the... [Read more]
Overview of the Best Online Teaching Platforms - TEFL Blog
Fri, 09 Apr 2021 Federico Riva
TEFL Information Teaching Ideas
Overview of the Best Online Teaching Platforms
Hello everybody, we are just about to start our new live session. Thanks for joining me and while we are waiting for more people to join please let me know that you can hear me clearly and you can see me clearly. There is a comments box so you can use it to communicate with me. I really appreciate it if you use it because when there is interaction during the live session it's always much easier for myself to present it and I feel a little bit more comfortable because I am not just speaking to myself.
Table of Contents
Watch the live session here
There was another comment if I can figure it out. So you want to find a resource with different lesson plans and things for adults?... [Read more]
Top Tips for Teaching English to Young Learners - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Top Tips for Teaching English to Young Learners
02/18/2023
hi welcome Linda here from ITT back this
week with another live session I hope you're doing well thank you so much for joining me today I'm happy to see you if
you can see me and if you can hear me clearly if everything's working please just leave a high in the comment section
and uh maybe also let me know where you are right now where are you watching
from today what time is it there how are you doing let me know in the comments we are live on Facebook and on YouTube at
the same time and we also always turn our live sessions into podcast episodes so if you're listening to this as a
podcast thank you so much for the download and thank you so much for listening we really appreciate that
don't forget to like And subscribe um so... [Read more]
Should ESL Students Receive Teaching of Slang and Idioms? - TEFL Blog
Mon, 25 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Should ESL Students Receive Teaching of Slang and Idioms?
ESL students will receive many formal grammar lessons that will give them a good grounding in proper English sentence structures, when to use who and whom, various verb tenses, the importance of noun-verb agreement and proper punctuation—and much more. Proper grammar will give them a thorough understanding of the elements of grammar and equip them to navigate through formal English-language communication, such as business letters and reports, meetings, emails to clients, and formal assignments in English classes.
Table of Contents
Real vocabulary
Real-life situations
Colloquialisms
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today!
Related Articles:
... [Read more]
ESA Methodology of Teaching - Why Every Teacher Should Use It - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
ESA Methodology of Teaching - Why Every Teacher Should Use It
08/26/2021
hello oh my gosh hello welcome hi linda here from itt
back with another live session this week hi guys how are you doing
um first of all if you can see me if you can hear me just drop a quick hi into um
the comment box we are actually live on facebook and we're also live on youtube at the same time
so if you can see me if you can hear me please just let me know and also let me know where you're watching from where
are you at right now i am in south korea it is 10 a.m friday
morning i'm super excited to be here again so um yeah sometimes there are some
technical difficulties i had some issues i think last week so um there was no sound for some reason for for a few
seconds so if that happens just let me know and then... [Read more]
Motivating All Groups of Students - TEFL Blog
Mon, 10 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Motivating All Groups of Students
In my experience of teaching in an institution in South Korea, I have found one of the most vital elements to my students succeeding, is to establish a positive and comfortable environment in my classroom. To do so, it is essential that my students be highly motivated. In the following paragraphs, my aim is to show why motivating students is so important and to give examples of some of the most effective ways to do so.
Table of Contents
Teacher's Nightmare
My Experience
Reward System
Motivating Older Learners
Motivating Falling Behind Students
Are you ready to teach different groups of ESL students?
Related Articles:
Listen to this blog post
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate... [Read more]
The Dos & Don'ts Of Teaching English Abroad - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The Dos & Don'ts Of Teaching English Abroad
02/27/2023
hi guys hey Linda here from ITTT back
this week with another live session thank you so much for joining me today and taking some time out of your day
today to be here with me and learn something new hopefully about teaching English and today we're going to talk
about the do's and don'ts of teaching English abroad sort of everything you
need to know you should know before you embark on this exciting journey of
teaching English abroad so yeah let me know if you can hear me if you can see me uh drop a hi in the comment section
oh perfect and also let me know where are you watching from today
I already see crystalline here Hi crystaline how are you doing good to see
you again awesome great where are you guys watching from today where... [Read more]
Overview of the Best Online Teaching Platforms - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Overview of the Best Online Teaching Platforms
01/20/2021
hello hello hello everybody this is here and we are just about to
start our new live session uh thanks for joining me
and uh while we are waiting for more people uh to come please let me
know that you can hear me clearly and you can see me clearly there is a comments box um so
you can use it uh to communicate with me and i really appreciate you use it
because when there is interaction during the live session it's always
much easier for myself to present um and
feel a little bit more comfortable because i basically speak to myself uh right now
and when i don't see any comments i feel a little bit confused you know um and
let me share the topic of today's session so that everyone can see it uh today we
are going to talk about um... [Read more]
Answering the Most Asked TEFL/TESOL Questions - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Answering the Most Asked TEFL/TESOL Questions
06/03/2021
hi welcome guys linda here from itt for another
live session this week i'm so happy to be here today the weather is great today the lighting
is good uh if you were watching last week uh yeah it was pretty much like the end of
the world weather here and it suddenly turned super dark and i don't have a light or anything
like a ring light so um but today it's great i feel good i have my coffee
right here even though it's almost gone but um yeah so happy to be here if you
can see me if you can hear me please just drop a high into the comments we are live on
facebook and we're also live on youtube and if you're listening to this as a podcast episode
thanks for the download we really appreciate it we always turn our live
sessions into... [Read more]