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Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching Phonetics - TEFL Blog
Mon, 11 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Advantages and Disadvantages of Teaching Phonetics
This will be a discussion aimed at presenting both the advantages and disadvantages of teaching phonetics. We will show how teaching phonetics help create approachability and reinforce language similarities. Inversely we will look at how English suffers from inconsistent phonetic rules and the conflict between words as written and words as said. We will also look at methods to mitigate these issues.
Table of Contents
Self-awareness
Noticing language similarities
English rules
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Mitchell D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent... [Read more]
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H. H. - Egypt said:
Pronunciation Problems in EgyptI have been teaching English for almost eight years for Egyptian university students at the English Department. Out of my experience of teaching Phonetics and Phonology for those students, I can conclude that the Egyptian learners of English encounter many pronunciation problems because of two main reasons: the English spelling as a poor reflection of the English pronunciation as well as the differences between... [Read more]
Common Pronunciation Mistakes of Japanese Students - TEFL Blog
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
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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]
The Importance of Phonetics and Phonology and Suggestions for Their Effective Teaching - TEFL Blog
Fri, 08 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Importance of Phonetics and Phonology and Suggestions for Their Effective Teaching
Phonetics and phonology may seem like advanced or 'bonus' aspects of teaching the English language, but they are essential and fundamental to successful English communication for English students. While teaching and practicing concepts like pronunciation, intonation, stress, and articulation may be difficult (or seem outright impossible!), there are several methods and tools which English teachers can employ to help their students master them.
Table of Contents
Clear Understanding
Importance to Teach this knowledge
How to start?
Practical Work
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This post was written by our... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Pronunciation And Phonology/phonetic Alphabet Issues - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Pronunciation and Phonology in the EFL Classroom - Issues with the International Phonetic Alphabet
There are two issues that need to be stressed when working with the international phonemic alphabet. First is the fact that we are no longer concerned with how a word is traditionally spelled. Additionally we need to stress that we are only concerned with the sounds needed to correctly produce a word. So rather than numerous spellings, which can often be pronounced in different ways, we have one symbol representing one sound. Once we can isolate a sound, rather than juggling various spellings, we can work with our students on how to say that sound. Doing that successfully is related to manner and place of articulation, which will be covered shortly. To get a better understanding of... [Read more]
Difficulties for Teachers Teaching South Korean Students - TEFL Blog
Sun, 19 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Difficulties for Teachers Teaching South Korean Students
Before starting my TEFL course to gain a more professional basis, I worked as an English teacher in South Korea for about one year. In this short essay, I will explain some of the most prominent difficulties South Korean students seem to face when learning English.
Table of Contents
Education system
Differences in the phonetic systems of Korean and English
Syntactic differences
Korean culture
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura M.
Education system
First and foremost, the educational structure in South Korea is quite different from those of Europe or the United States. Korean kids... [Read more]
Common Pronunciation Challenges for Learners in Azerbaijan - TEFL Blog
Mon, 17 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Common Pronunciation Challenges for Learners in Azerbaijan
Pronunciation is an essential part of the English language. Clear and cohesive speech can create meaningful conversations, meanwhile incorrect pronunciation can lead to misunderstandings. Every, non-native English-speaking country has pronunciation problems. One of the countries which come across with pronunciation errors is my homeland Azerbaijan. It is a lovely country, with nice traditions and people.
Table of Contents
Multilingual Country
Historical Reasons
Modern Situation
Digital Age
Teacher Training
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Narmina M. Please note that this... [Read more]
The Most Effective Strategies to Teach Reading - TEFL Blog
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]
English as a Non-Phonetic Language - TEFL Blog
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
English as a Non-Phonetic Language
Like we all know, the English alphabet has 26 letters. These 26 letters can make 44 different sounds or phonemes – 20 sounds come from the vowels a, e, i, o and u; and 24 sounds come from the remaining 21 consonants. A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can change the meaning of a word.
Table of Contents
The Vowel Sounds
The Consonant Sounds
Syllable Stress
Without Jumping to Conclusions
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If we consider sounds made simply by the letter 'a' for instance, in the word 'apple' – it's /ae/, in 'car' – it's /a:/, in amount – it's /a/, and so on. This, consequently, makes English a... [Read more]
Peculiarities of The English Language - TEFL Blog
Thu, 30 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Peculiarities of The English Language
I did not realize how difficult English is until I became fluent in Spanish. I am currently studying French and I am pretty good at French. I have a basic knowledge of Esperanto.
Table of Contents
English is difficult for several reasons
English is not a phonetic language
There are exceptions to every rule
Some examples of other exceptions to English rules
Pronunciation
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Wayne K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
English is difficult for several reasons
I will just touch on each of... [Read more]
The Usual Problems of Japanese Students in English - TEFL Blog
Fri, 01 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The Usual Problems of Japanese Students in English
A large number of obstacles can arise for the students when learning a foreign language. Some of these problems are related to the contrast between the mother language and the learned language. About the differences between L1 and L2, there is plenty of research in the field of contrastive linguistics. Moreover, regarding that topic, many papers can be found comparing English to Japanese with the aim to address the problems of Japanese learners of English. However, other predicaments with the apprehension of the L2 can develop when teachers underestimate the importance of the cultural dimension of the language taught. Concerning that particular impediment, less scientific literature... [Read more]
Challenges For Students of Different Nationalities - TEFL Blog
Wed, 28 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Challenges For Students of Different Nationalities
I am from the United States and my native language is English. I am currently living in the Philippines, so I have been encountering language issues a lot lately. I have desperately been trying to learn Tagalog, and it is a major challenge.
Table of Contents
Teacher's experience of learning a foreign language
Rapport
Rules
Weird exceptions
Phonetic challenges
Spelling challenges
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gabriel T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Teacher's experience of learning a foreign language
Along... [Read more]
Why Teachers Need to Be Careful with British English and American English - TEFL Blog
Mon, 13 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Why Teachers Need to Be Careful with British English and American English
Learning English is very difficult, there are many various grammatical and spelling differences between the English spoken throughout the world. Most notably is British and American English grammar. There are also differences in the pronunciation and meanings of many words. While you would think learning English would be a simple task, it is not, after all how different can English be from English? There are a few additional factors - Canadian, Australian, South African, Indian English, etc. have their own differences, these are differences that must be taken into consideration while you study the English Language.
Table of Contents
Why Learners Have to... [Read more]
Challenges for Vietnamese Students in American English Pronunciation - TEFL Blog
Wed, 29 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Challenges for Vietnamese Students in American English Pronunciation
Today, Vietnam is entering the world stage as a united and independent country, eager to learn English, but unable to meet its standards for EFL education. Vietnamese students are a victim of several unfortunate coincidences in pronunciation, and often complain that reading and writing are easy to learn but speaking and listening simply impossible. Two huge differences in the way these languages differentiate words have made English communication into a "black box" for the Vietnamese, more difficult for them to penetrate than for other Asian peoples. Among these differences are the very small number of shared sounds, as well as tonogenesis, a pitch-based method... [Read more]
The Most Common Problems Students in Turkey Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 29 May 2019 Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences
The Most Common Problems Students in Turkey Face When Learning English
As defined through the units of the course and through many linguistic books, pronunciation is to say a word in a language in the correct way. Although the correct pronunciation of words and even the correct intonation in sentences in English, is thought through course books all over the world and thanks to media students are exposed to the natural and correct pronunciation, numerous mistakes are observed inside the classroom and outside. The reasons for the problems in pronunciation might vary depending on the country. I have been teaching English in Turkey for a while and have witnessed many problems with the students which will be explained through this essay.... [Read more]
Phonetics Difficulties for French Students - TEFL Blog
Tue, 14 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Phonetics Difficulties for French Students
One of the most important problems encountered while learning a foreign language is undoubtedly pronunciation. Knowing a language fluently may not always be enough. Fluency level may be open to discussion if an accurate pronunciation is not used. Therefore as teachers, we must teach our students how to use the correct pronunciation. However, pronunciation can be a nightmare for some students, especially for young learners.
Table of Contents
Common Errors in Pronunciation
/h/ Sound
Ways to Fix Errors
Articulation
Simple Way to Overcome the Problem
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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]
Phonetical Challenges for Vietnamese English Learners - TEFL Blog
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]
An Overview of Common Challenges of ESL Students from Japan - TEFL Blog
Mon, 04 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
An Overview of Common Challenges of ESL Students from Japan
Japan is a nation that has tried to increase its citizens' English ability, especially with the upcoming 2020 Olympic Games being held in their country. However, progress has been slow and not fruitful. There are various reasons for this slow stagnation of the nation's English abilities such as the larger academic system and access to proper education in rural areas. However, I will focus on three main hurdles that Japanese learners of English must face that can impede their English education.
Table of Contents
Japanese vs. English
Phonetics
Alphabet
Japanese English Class
Style Problems
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This... [Read more]
The Most Common Problems Students in South Korea Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 14 Nov 2018 Linda Dunsmore
Destinations Alumni Experiences
The Most Common Problems Students in South Korea Face When Learning English
Korean learners of the English language face numerous challenges in acquiring the language on a proficient level, although English is introduced to children at an early age. English is incorporated into the primary school curriculum from the age of four, yet only a small minority master the language on a proficient conversational level. Unfortunately, the reasons seem to stem from cultural and social differences, the significant differences between the two languages; Korean and English, and the Korean Educational System is also a contributing factor.
Table of Contents
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Problems Relating to Cultural Differences
Problems... [Read more]
Ways to Spur Students in ESL Courses - TEFL Blog
Wed, 05 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Ways to Spur Students in ESL Courses
As an English teacher, it is quite common to encounter high achievers, those who are so inspired and self-motivated in learning English, as well as low achievers, those who find themselves with no interest or goals in class. About the former group, there are always ways to encourage them in English learning, while for the latter, the teacher really has to think over and over before taking appropriate actions.
Table of Contents
Teaching Pronunciation First
Various Teaching Methods
Setting up an English-only Class Environment
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I have always had to think of ways to encourage students in my teaching practice because the... [Read more]
Which Difficulties Do German Have Learners with the Phonetics of English? - TEFL Blog
Thu, 07 May 2020 Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Which Difficulties Do German Have Learners with the Phonetics of English?
In this essay, I will deal with the pronunciation difficulties of German learners of English. In particular, I will treat some issues at the segmental level.
Table of Contents
English German
I will discuss only the final devoicing in this essay
Way to pronounce
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Although both English and German are Germanic languages, the sound inventories of these two languages are quite different, especially the vowels. In the following table, the sounds are listed which exist only in one but not in the other language:
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Gisella F. Please note... [Read more]
The Most Common Problems Students in Spain Face When Learning English - TEFL Blog
Mon, 11 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
The Most Common Problems Students in Spain Face When Learning English
For non-native English student in Spain, specific difficulties may be encountered when learning English. A good English teacher will help a student address those difficulties including, but not limited to, pronunciation, listening, and grammar.
Table of Contents
Lack in Listening Comprehension
"Unlearning" Mispronunciation
Regional Dialects Create More Difficulties
Grammar Patterns and Word Order
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A good English teacher to non-native English students requires a solid foundation in the knowledge of English as the student relies on the teacher as the main source of the... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Pronunciation And Phonology/oh Sound - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Pronunciation and Phonology in the EFL Classroom - "Oh" Sound
Here we have a set of five words, which all share one sound: the ?oh? sound, as in ?go?, ?show?, ?dough?, ?note? and ?boat?. They?re five different spelling patterns to tell our students so they can identify when to make the ?oh? sound. We can have a simple letter ?o?, ?ow?, ?ough?, ?o? with the magic ?e? which turns our vowel into what we knew as long sounds and the ?oa? as in ?boat?. Now, for a non-native learner, perhaps they can handle something like this. They remember that these spelling combinations help to produce the ?oh? sound and they can go about their business looking at the words and memorizing this knowing that these spelling patterns will produce the sound ?oh?. Now that?s okay until we get to a... [Read more]
The Problem of Pronunciation for Russians Learning English - TEFL Blog
Wed, 29 May 2019 Mark Crocker
Alumni Experiences
The Problem of Pronunciation for Russians Learning English
As a native Russian speaker I was worried about pronunciation from the very beginning of my English studies in primary school. It so happened that in my family my grandmother was an English teacher in high school who had worked in this position for more than 50 years. Naturally, I began my acquaintance with English much earlier than most of my peers. And the first step in the work of my grandmother in teaching me a foreign language was the formulation of pronunciation, something that most Russians have problems with.
Table of Contents
The Main Issues That Cause Problems for Russian Students
The Problem With Vowels
Looking on the Bright Side
If I Can Do It, So Can Any Russian... [Read more]
Class Authorized TEFL - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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W.D. - U.S.A. said:
Problems for learners in ChinaThere are two main aspects that cause problems for chinese students. The first aspect is connected with the language itself. English and Mandarin ? the common language in china belong to different language families (English belongs to Germanic and chinese to Sino-Tibetan family) that have many differences in fields of phonetics, writing system and grammar. The second aspect considers different learning style of chinese... [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]
Achieve TEFL Certificate - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Achieve TEFL certificate
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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
T.H. - U.S.A. said:
Problems for English students in Mexic?Quiero hablar Englés. Puedes enceñarme?? (I want to speak English. Can you teach me?) Living in a small tourist town in the northern part of Mexico, I have been asked this question many times. For the people living in a state that borders the united states, speaking English becomes a valued asset. Here in Creel, business owners want to be able to communicate with the tourists that come into their... [Read more]
Teaching Key Phonics Sounds to Early Learners - TEFL Blog
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
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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]
Reading as a Skill to Enhance General Language Ability - TEFL Blog
Thu, 18 Mar 2021 Elizaveta Pachina
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Reading as a Skill to Enhance General Language Ability
Reading affects language acquisition based on the level of the content read, the type of content, and the reader's external sources of language acquisition. This summative text will explain the different difficulties that can arise when any English learner uses reading as their sole or primary language acquisition mode.
Table of Contents
Anticipated Problems
Formal Vocabulary and Structures
The Problem of Spoken Language
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Laura J. Please note that this... [Read more]