Speaking Practice For Esl Students

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Write about your Family This is a great writing exercise for ESL students to practice speaking about their family.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TEFL Certificate with ITTT.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! ESL Speaking Activity about Animals These speaking cards about animals are ideal for teen ESL students to practice speaking or can be used as class openers or finishers and even as writing prompts.   Are you interested in teaching English as a foreign language? ​Get your TESOL Certification with ITTT. Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts  [Read more]

Where is EFL taught? EFL, standing for English as a Foreign Language, predominantly refers to the instruction of English in non-English speaking countries. This encompasses many popular countries for teaching such as Spain, Japan, Mexico, and numerous others. In these settings, learners engage with English even though it is not the dominant language of their environment. While EFL can also denote courses in English-speaking nations, its primary context is the teaching or learning of English where it isn't the native language. Table of Contents What's the difference between EFL and ESL? What's the difference between teaching EFL and teaching ESL? What's the difference between EFL and ESL? It is very common for either of these acronyms to be used when talking about any situation where a...  [Read more]

Where is EFL taught? Within the world of English language teaching there are many acronyms used to describe what type of teaching is involved in any particular scenario. EFL is one of the more common ones you will come across and it stands for English as a Foreign Language. You will find EFL is most commonly used when describing the teaching or learning of English in a non-English speaking country, such as Spain, Japan, or Mexico. What’s the difference between EFL and ESL? It is very common for either of these acronyms to be used when talking about any situation where a student is learning English, however, there is a technical difference between the two. As previously mentioned, EFL is when the student is learning English in a non-English speaking environment, for example, a Japanese...  [Read more]

Fri, 15 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teaching Speaking in an ESL Kindergarten In teaching kindergarten level students, I find that three important aspects must be included in every lesson. Each lesson must contain parts that allow the students to "warm-up" their English skills, they must also have a chance to drill the vocabulary and target language, and lastly, the classes must have activities that give the students a chance to practice using their vocabulary and target language in a relatable activity. Table of Contents Beginning of the class Methodology Active stage Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebecca S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily...  [Read more]

Thu, 30 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Ways to Teach Vocabulary Effectively Vocabulary, as one of the three main elements (The other two are pronunciation and grammar) of a language, is essential in language acquisition. Teaching vocabulary is always being a great concern for any English language course. Quite a lot of teachers are really focused on how to make a vocabulary lesson more interesting and memorable for students. New vocabulary has to be introduced in such a way as to capture the students' attention and place the words in a practical way. Table of Contents How to teach vocabulary interesting and memorable How to enlarge students' vocabulary Practice makes perfect Are you ready to teach English to ESL students all over the world? Related Articles: Listen to...  [Read more]

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why do Japanese Learners Face Difficulties when Studying English? English is causing many problems in Asian countries which can be seen just by the high demand for English teachers - including ESL teachers. One of the countries is Japan, a country with a good economy and a society well known for their kindness and politeness, but unfortunately also for the low number of English speakers. There are many reasons why English is likely to pose problems in Japan but there are many possibilities to improve the English lessons to offer lessons that help Japanese students to achieve a higher English level. Table of Contents 1. English is only written during lessons (Student Talk time is too low) 2. Students are not asked to express their...  [Read more]

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Breaking The Language Barrier in ESL Students We live in an ever-changing world that is becoming smaller, more connected. Communication is faster and more diverse than ever. Computers, cell phones, and social media have increased the speed of communication. Therefore, the need for people to respond quickly and the language that has become synonymous with international communication is English. Thus, the demand for learning the language is increasing at a constant rate. But though people may have the need, they may lack the confidence to take on a new language fully. Table of Contents Native vs. Second Language Making Mistakes Games in ESL Social Networks Are you ready to teach English abroad or...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers Teachers & Learners – Language Levels of Learners Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas There are five general levels used to describe ESL students. In this blog post, we will outline the levels and discuss what characteristics the learners within those levels have. Nightly Reading Homework: Best Practices in 6 Steps Ahmed Taha Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This blog post explains what the teacher can do and what parents and other caregivers can do to ensure that this assignment is truly beneficial to the child's development as a reader. The Challenges of Teaching EFL to Older Adults Desrine Francois TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching English as a foreign language to older adults...  [Read more]

Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories The Three Main Types of High Schools in Japan Etienne Van Rooyen TEFL Information Alumni Experiences There are three types of senior high schools in Japan. Each senior high school (grades 10, 11, and 12) has a different purpose and students attend it. Understanding this helps us learn how English language learning in Japan is differently yet similars each school. With this knowledge, as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) you can adapt your lessons plans, materials and style to fit your school/s. Nightly Reading Homework: Best Practices in 6 Steps Ahmed Taha Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas This blog post explains what the teacher can do and what parents and other caregivers can do to ensure that this assignment is truly beneficial...  [Read more]

Mon, 23 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences How Adults’ Learning Differs From Teenagers’ and Children’s Learning? ESL teachers must acknowledge that it is not equal teaching English Lessons to children, teenagers, and adults, there are some wide differences between the practices used in each case, classroom, population, levels, and country where English is taught, on this paper we will check how an ESL lesson may be affected by these variables, and how we could overlap them on the practices used in teenagers and adults English lessons. Table of Contents Basic concepts Self-concept Personal Experience Adults learning process Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Javier V....  [Read more]

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas A Comprehensive Lesson Plan for Intermediate ESL Students in a 1-Hour Class Effective communication is a crucial skill for ESL learners, and developing strong speaking abilities is a key aspect of language acquisition. In this blog post, we will explore a comprehensive lesson plan designed specifically for intermediate ESL students. This one-hour class aims to equip learners with the necessary tools to enhance their speaking skills, fostering confidence and fluency. Let's dive into the details! Table of Contents Part 1: Warm-Up and Introduction (10 minutes) Part 2: Vocabulary and Language Review and Speaking Practice Task (25 minutes) Part 3: Language Focus and Expansion with Role-Play or Simulation...  [Read more]

Mon, 27 May 2019 William Noble Destinations Teaching Ideas English Speaking and Writing Errors made by Chinese Primary Students I have been an online ESL teacher to Chinese students for over 13 years, mostly with primary students but also with secondary and adult students. I am also a father and have homeschooled my daughter over her primary years. Like many teachers, I've enjoyed teaching at this level of education as it lays the foundation in English. As it set the foundation, my teaching helped students to overcome common errors in production skills, speaking and writing. Teaching both my daughter and Chinese students at the primary level also helped me also to understand the different expectations between first language and second language students. Table of Contents Speaking...  [Read more]

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Coursebook Review There are thousands of English coursebooks nowadays, and one might get confused while trying to choose a coursebook for the students. I have faced this problem as well, trying to choose the coursebook for private classes with a 7-year-old student who has already learned some English before. Table of Contents Oxford Resources and Materials Coursebook Contents Feedback Structure Revision Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Elena K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Oxford Resources and Materials As far as I am concerned, Oxford University Press is known to be...  [Read more]

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]

Older Posts Course Books and Materials: Dictionaries Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog we are going to consider the types and use of dictionaries. Which is the best dictionary for the different levels of student to use and what are some of the things we should and should not do with them? Course Books and Materials - Best Use of the Course Book Federico Riva TEFL Information Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will consider how best to use the teaching material course book that often accompanies a course. There are a number of strategies we can adopt to get the most out of the book in different situations. Coursebooks and Materials - Authentic and Created Materials Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching...  [Read more]

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Top Tips for Decreasing Teacher Speaking Time Imagine a classroom where the teacher is lecturing the entire class time. Student's attention span starts to flee, they begin looking for any source of entertainment. They are now distracted and unable to apply the lesson the teacher is demonstrating in the real world. Teacher lecture time should be supplemented with other methods of teaching. Students need mental breaks and activities to engage them in the lesson. Table of Contents Reasons to Decrease TTT Ways to Work on the Problem Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Abigail A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent...  [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]

Sat, 25 May 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Teaching ESL vs. EFL - What’s the difference? ESL is English which is usually taught to students in an English speaking country. EFL is English which is taught to students in a foreign, non-English speaking country. As it is true of many European countries, where is common to learn to speak more than one foreign language. For these reasons ESL is typically the term used in the United States, an English-speaking nation, whereas EFL is more often the term of choice in countries where English is not the native language. Table of Contents What's ESL? What's EFL? Teaching ESL versus teaching EFL ESL Students Need... 1. Hands-on English lessons suitable for their immediate needs. 2. Explicit cultural instruction. 3....  [Read more]

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The Importance of Using Online ESL Games in TEYL When it comes to learning ESL, most learners associate it with memorizing spelling rules, doing countless grammar exercises, making abstract speaking topics, and translating sentences from L1 into English. In these, there is little or no listening and speaking practice involved, making English just one of the numerous boring school subjects. However, there is so much more to learning and activating the language if the fun element is involved. This doesn't only include traditional classroom games but also learning both at school and home with the usage of modern technology. Most children born in the 2000s have grown up using iPads and mobile phones, which makes them much more...  [Read more]

Estefany Garduño Estefany Garduño is an English Teacher and a Biotechnology Engineer from Mexico. During her professional life, she has taught subjects like English, Microbiology and Chemistry, which has helped her to identify both different kinds of students and the way they like to learn. She not only loves to be healthy and practice exercise every day but also, she thinks that at least one smile during your day can change it totally. Her favorite phrase is: “A day without laughter is a day wasted” by Charlie Chaplin. Read my articles Creating your Own English Immersion Experience for ESL Students | ITTT | TEFL Blog Estefany Garduño TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Let’s change the game by giving a higher immersion of English to your ESL students...  [Read more]

Archives for February 2022 Coursebooks and Materials - Authentic and Created Materials Federico Riva TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, we will consider the classification of ESL materials into, authentic and created. We will then look at some of the major advantages and disadvantages of using each of them in the ESL classroom. The Three Main Types of High Schools in Japan Etienne Van Rooyen TEFL Information Alumni Experiences There are three types of senior high schools in Japan. Each senior high school (grades 10, 11, and 12) has a different purpose and students attend it. Understanding this helps us learn how English language learning in Japan is differently yet similars each school. With this knowledge, as an Assistant Language...  [Read more]

Wed, 29 May 2019 Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Feeling Comfortable Making Mistakes Can Really Help a Student’s Language Learning It is inevitable that everyone will make mistakes when trying something new for the first time. Because there is no way to avoid them, mistakes should be accepted, treated as normal, and even encouraged. It is always better to make some mistakes in the attempt than not to try at all, and this is particularly true when learning a new language. Table of Contents My Own Foreign Language Experience Translating This Environment to the Classroom Dealing With Mistakes Practice Makes Perfect Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Catherine L....  [Read more]

Qualifications Affordable TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Qualifications Affordable TEFL and apply today to be certified to teach English abroad. You could also be interested in: This is how our TEFL graduates feel they have gained from their course, and how they plan to put into action what they learned: Check out ITTT's Blog Posts G.M. - U.S.A. said: Songs in the ClassroomThe use of songs in the ESL classroom can be a fun and innovative way of covering a range of English language topics. Songs can be used for vocabulary, grammar, dictation, pronunciation, phonetics, speaking, writing, listening, integrative skills, and many other ESL points. Songs can also expose foreign children to Western culture. For instance, pop music gives the learner a taste of what is trendy at the moment....  [Read more]

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Encourage ESL Students For the past couple of months, I have worked as an ESL teacher for the company Qkids. I took this course in order to obtain a certificate and meet the Chinese national standards. Even though I took it for that purpose only, it has been a very informative and helpful class. I have learned so much that I can apply to my own online ESL classes. Table of Contents Personal Experience Online vs. Real Students' Peculiarities Body Language Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Rebekah P. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Personal Experience In my...  [Read more]

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Games in the Classroom - The Antidote to Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety When an English speaker is traveling in the Philippines, it is not uncommon for a friendly conversation with a local to end with the local stating they have a nosebleed and escape from the conversation. In Filipino culture, nosebleeds indicate that the brain is too stressed. Although Filipinos pride themselves in being fluent in English, many are not as confident to speak it when the time requires. Table of Contents BACKGROUND: Too Anxious to Speak INTRODUCTION: Work VS Play MOTIVATION SETTING CONFIDENCE CONCLUSION Are you ready to teach English in an ESL or EFL classroom? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why is it Important for ESL Teachers to Focus on Building Confidence in Beginner Students? Learning a new language is an inherently challenging task. One important way for ESL teachers to help beginner students learn English is to focus not only on teaching language concepts but on building their confidence to experiment with the language and persist with their learning. This essay will firstly examine why building confidence is important in ESL teaching, and different strategies teachers can employ to do this, including how they interact with students and the content they choose for classes. Table of Contents Why might beginner students suffer from low confidence, and how can this interfere with their learning? Student-Teacher...  [Read more]

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching ESL Classes vs. EFL Classes Programs in English as a second language (ESL) generally take place in countries where English is the dominant or official language. People participating in an ESL program likely immigrated to an English-speaking country from a non-English speaking county and so are learning English as a language to be used in their everyday lives. In contrast, programs in English as a foreign language (EFL) generally take place in countries where English is not the official or dominant language. People participating in an EFL program are likely still in their home country and may or may not ever use English outside of the EFL classroom. This fundamental difference between the two types of programs can lead to...  [Read more]

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The Difference In Teaching ESL vs. EFL There are many similarities, but also many differences, in teaching English as a foreign language and teaching English as a second language. Teaching English as a foreign language is when you teach English in a country that does not have English as an official language. Teaching English as a second language is when you teach English to someone who speaks another language as their first language, normally in a country where English is the official language. I have taught both English as a foreign language (EFL) and English as a second language (ESL) and these two experiences had quite a few similarities and quite a few differences. Table of Contents EFL and ESL Example Similarities between EFL...  [Read more]

Fri, 04 Oct 2019 Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas 7 Great Games for Your ESL Conversation Class Teaching speaking skills is an important part of an ESL class. Sometimes, entire conversation classes are established that focus solely on speaking. Here are 7 great games for your ESL conversation class. Table of Contents 1. Mystery Party Guest 2. Choose Your Victim 3. Ice-breaker Jenga 4. 20 Questions 5. Apples to Apples 6. Get to Know You Bingo 7. Create A Game Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: 1. Mystery Party Guest Write down the names and key points about five celebrities and assign them to the same amount of students in your classroom. One by one, a student enters a "party" with another student playing the host. The host must then find out the identity of each...  [Read more]