Speaking Activities

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 Federico Riva TEFL Information Productive and Receptive Skills - Speaking Activities In this blog post, we will consider three different categories of speaking activity. For each we look at where each individual type is used and then look at some general ideas for delivering any of the three types of activity. Table of Contents Watch the video about this topic Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Watch the video about this topic Speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Controlled activities tend to be used in the study phase and here the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need...  [Read more]

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

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 7 Effective Speaking Activities for a Mixed-Abilities Classroom Speaking is one of the most important skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing). We do not only help students to understand, write and read it, but also speak it fluently. Teaching speaking skills for a mixed-ability classroom is not easy. Table of Contents 1. Pair or group. 2. Say things about a picture. 3. Speaking clocks 4. How many? 5. Disappearing text 6. I went to the shop and I bought 7. Word Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Huyen N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. When we are teaching a class...  [Read more]

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

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What are The Best Speaking Activities for Mixed-Ability Classrooms? Mixed-ability classes are classes that have participants with different levels of proficiency. The differentiation can be in terms of the following traits:* Age* Maturity Level* Motivation* Intelligence* Mother Tongue* Attitude towards the subject* Language Ability Table of Contents Getting to know your Students Needs Analysis by filling in Questionnaires Speaking Activities: Same Ability Groups: Mixed Ability Groups: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Pardeep A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. This list is...  [Read more]

Archives for April 2022 Theories - Methods & Techniques of Teaching English: An Overview Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Methodology, Approach, Method and Technique, what are all these terms and how do they relate to my teaching ESL in the classroom? We take a look at these concepts and explain their meaning. Productive and Receptive Skills in the EFL Classroom - Receptive Skills - Potential Problems Federico Riva Teaching Ideas The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears. Productive and Receptive Skills - Speaking Activities Federico Riva TEFL Information In this blog post, we will consider three...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Let's Talk: Daily Activities This is a great speaking activity to talk about daily activities. Your students roll the die twice to find a question to talk about. The first roll determines the number on the top and the second roll determines the number on the left.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? Get your TEFL or TESOL certification with ITTT. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Federico Riva Read my articles Theories - Methods & Techniques of Teaching English: An Overview | ITTT | TEFL Blog Federico Riva Teaching Ideas Methodology, Approach, Method and Technique, what are all these terms and how do they relate to my teaching ESL in the classroom? We take a look at these concepts and explain their meaning. Productive and Receptive Skills in the EFL Classroom - Receptive Skills - Potential Problems | ITTT | TEFL Blog Federico Riva Teaching Ideas The receptive skills of reading and listening, generally get less attention than the other skills of speaking and writing. Here we look at some of the reasons they are avoided and why e should overcome these fears. Productive and Receptive Skills - Speaking Activities | ITTT | TEFL Blog Federico Riva ...  [Read more]

Archives for August 2022 TEFL Job Interviews - What to Organize Before the Interview Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Most TEFL interviews are now conducted online. Whilst it is very important to think about what questions you may be asked and how you will answer them, of equal importance is being correctly physically set up for the interview. Here we will consider some of the major factors you need to consider before you say, “Hello”. What criteria should be used to evaluate activities? Ahmed Taha Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This blog post explores what criteria should be used to evaluate activities in an ESL classroom. 7 Top Tips for Writing on the Board Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas One of the most important concepts to...  [Read more]

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

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles Which Teaching Method is Best for a First-time Teacher? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate considers different teaching methods and explains which one should work best for young TEFL teachers. Positive Alternatives to Old-Fashioned Punishment | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post was written by our TEFL graduate who shares their ideas on how to change punishment into a more positive practice. Pronunciation Problems for Learners Speaking Chinese...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles How to Teach English as a Foreign Language in Kindergarten? | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their experience and ideas on how to organize your teaching in a kindergarten to achieve better results. The Most Important Take-Aways From a TEFL Course | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Our TEFL graduate, in this blog post, explains the principles of building a course syllabus. Classroom Activities Using Storytelling | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina...  [Read more]

Tue, 25 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Productive Skills The productive skills are Speaking and Writing, They are also known as active skills. While speaking and writing are substantially different in many ways, they both are used for the same purpose to communicate.In many ways writing is the more difficult skills, requiring a greater degree of accuracy. When speaking, any misunderstandings can be cleared 'up on the spot', Whereas this is not possible in writing. Table of Contents Speaking activities in the classroom 1) Controlled activities: 2) Guided activities: 3) Creative communication: 4) Hand Writing: 5) Spelling: 6) Encouraging students to speak: Techniques to encourage interaction: Guidelines for creative speaking activity: 1) Before...  [Read more]

Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories English for Young Learners in Turkey: ✅ Problems and Solutions Anastasiya Akpinar TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Turkey is an exciting destination to work as an English language teacher. ✅ If your dream is to live and work abroad in Turkey, these tips will help you understand your local students that much better! Teaching Online: ✅ Tips For Giving Video Homework Anastasiya Akpinar Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Try video homework in your online lessons to make them more fun and exciting! 5 Steps to Work on Your ESL Teaching Career Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL expert shares their personal experience of ESL teaching career development. ✅ You will...  [Read more]

Tue, 29 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Emphasis on the Need for Teaching Productive Skills The productive skills, in my definition, are skills that require the students to articulate or produce words, sounds, speeches, or sentences either in written or typed form. The productive skills are speaking and writing. The productive skills are essential and are needed for communicative purposes in our day to day activities. Table of Contents Why are Productive Skills Important? Preparation for Teaching More Techniques Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Taiwo B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Why are Productive...  [Read more]

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Reasons Why Teaching Productive Skills is The Cornerstone of Communication For this Summative Task, I will be discussing the topic of teaching productive skills in the classroom. As opposed to receptive skills learned previously (reading and listening), productive skills focus on speaking and writing. Regarding writing, this function of language education is often the most neglected in the TEFL world, due firstly, to the fact that teachers and students don't want to monopolize class time with quiet individually driven work. Writing skills are mostly practiced in the form of homework which can often be neglected and completed without necessary focus and effort. Concerning speaking, this function requires a higher deal of language...  [Read more]

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Decreasing Teacher Talking Time and Its Effect in the Classroom One of the most difficult aspects of English teaching is not grammar or even structure; it's the externalization of ideas through the act of speaking with the teacher or students. The thought seems trivial but when put in an environment where the language taught overrides their own most students have a hard time organizing their ideas and thoughts to form coherent sentences that expresses what is on their minds. Table of Contents Challenges Ways to work on it Repetition Activities Other ideas How to deal with reluctant students Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Alvin M....  [Read more]

Older Posts 5 Steps to Work on Your ESL Teaching Career Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL expert shares their personal experience of ESL teaching career development. ✅ You will learn about five ways how to become a better ESL teacher and enhance your career. 5 Benefits of Sharing a 17sq-meter Apartment in Tokyo on the JET Program Maddy Payne Destinations TEFL Information Alumni Experiences If you're heading to Japan on the JET Program, be prepared for the fact that you could potentially be living in a very small space! But don't fear, there are so many benefits to living in a small space and honestly, you get used to it very quickly. It's just all part of living in the biggest city in the world! 5 Steps to...  [Read more]

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why Teaching Productive Skills is so Important Communication is essential for everyday life activities. It's impossible not to communicate. Even when you don't speak a word, you communicate. That's because communication represents the way we express put thoughts, our ideas, and our opinions. It is as much about effective listening and reading as it is about speaking and writing. Communication is built on these four important skills which are divided into Productive Skills (speaking and writing) and Receptive Skills (reading and listening). Table of Contents In this text, we take a look at the Productive skills which wouldn't exist without the Receptive ones. People engage in communications for specific reasons: Accuracy speaking...  [Read more]

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

Elizaveta Pachina Liza is a translator, freelancer and ESL teacher from Russia. She had been teaching in a Chinese bilingual school for more than two years and recently moved to Thiland to run her blog about teaching and freelance job. Read my articles How to Build Strong Reading Skills from Early Childhood | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on teaching reading skills. ✅ Is it the parents' responsibility or depends on children? Learn more here. How to Teach EFL Kindergarten | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts and experience on teaching EFL kindergarten...  [Read more]

Older Posts TEFL Ice Breakers: What You Need to Know Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Ice breakers as the name implies are activities (often games) used to introduce the teacher to the students, to each other and vice-verca. These activities allow the group to get to know each other in a friendly, fun atmosphere as we will describe. Ice breakers can be used for all levels of ESL student. TEFL for Beginners: Top Tips to Know Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences In this blog we discuss some of the fundamentals of the industry, include general terminology, application for teaching posts and typical qualification requirements. As the points are general in nature, some information may not apply to specific situations and you should always do your own...  [Read more]

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Develop the Speaking Abilities of Kindergarten Level Students Benjamin Franklin quoted "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Table of Contents Conversation Support Oral Conversation Listening activities Interactive storytelling activities' Vocabulary enhancement Poems, Rhymes, and Games Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Verbal communication is one of the most essential abilities that a student can lead both for social and educational achievement. It can consider the introductory stage of learning. It is indispensable to cultivate communication skills for the development of young learners so that he/she can carry out of articulating him or herself....  [Read more]

Mon, 15 Jul 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Speaking to Chinese English Learners The following essay is a summative task for my TEFL certification course. I have chosen the topic "Problems for learners in a country of your choice" and the country of focus is China. In the essay, I would like to answer the question "How to help Chinese learners improve their conversation skills?" Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: State of the problem Phonetic System Chinese Censorship Culture Ways to Teach Speaking Intonation and Stress Speaking Activities Motivation Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nastja S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [Read more]

Tue, 28 Jul 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Productive Skills in the Classroom: How Is It Achieved? In the process of building a strong foundation for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), there are many items to consider. Some of these include parts of speech, theories and methodologies, tenses, lesson planning, and testing. One of the most important parts of this process is teaching productive skills, including speaking and writing, to students of all age groups. While the lesson planning for speaking and writing will be different, they are both used for the primary purpose of communication. When people are communicating with each other, they want to be able to say something through proper communication. They also want to listen and be able to...  [Read more]

Mon, 08 Aug 2022 Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas Accuracy vs. Fluency When Speaking In this blog post, we will consider some important educational background theoretical and practical knowledge. The planning of a lesson for speaking skills (one of the two productive skills) requires us to look first at the ideas of accuracy versus fluency. Table of Contents Watch the video about this topic Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Watch the video about this topic We will start by defining our terms.1) Speaking accuracy relates to the correct usage of grammar and vocabulary.2) Speaking fluency relates to our ability to continue speaking without any interruption, such as...  [Read more]

The World Of TEFL and TESOL Explained 7 Top Tips for Writing on the Board Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas One of the most important concepts to cover in the use of the board is that of “dead time”. This is the time we are writing on the board and nothing is being said. Here we look at 7 top tips to reduce the dead time to a minimum. Accuracy vs. Fluency When Speaking Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas In any lesson the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking are important. When we focus our activities on speaking, how should we approach the issue of speaking fluency versus speaking accuracy? In this blog we will consider these two factors and look at where they apply in real lesson examples. Classroom Materials: Books,...  [Read more]

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What Outdoor Activities Can Help When Teaching English While it is true that many students crave consistency in the classroom, it can also be argued that students of all ages and levels tend to lose motivation and interest if lessons become too predictable or repetitive. For this reason, many teachers choose to incorporate outdoor activities into their lessons. In addition to maintaining interest, some possible benefits to taking your students outside the classroom (especially in an English-speaking country) include opportunities to interact with locals, experience culture, and practice in "real life" scenarios, all of which can help build students' confidence. Even if students are learning English in their home countries, there are...  [Read more]

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

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Challenging Way of a Teacher to Create Confident Students Confidence is a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective. Confidence comes from a Latin word fidere' which means "to trust"; therefore, having self-confidence is having trust in one's self.; for students who have English as their second language, the confidence in speaking in English is mostly low as they do not practice the language often enough and they worry about being wrong so they'd choose not to talk at all. As a Filipino, schools in the Philippines use English as our medium of teaching. Therefore, most of the Filipinos do know the right structure of grammar, vocabulary...  [Read more]