Why Is So Difficult To Learn English

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Teach the Correct Pronunciation of L, R, V, and F Many students of English as a Second Language (ESL) find that, of the many struggles they have with the language, pronunciation is the most difficult to master. Table of Contents Working on Fluency Difficult Sounds: Part 1 How to Teach? Difficult Sounds: Part 2 How to Teach? Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Listen to this blog post Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sophie M. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Working on Fluency Pronunciation is an extremely important ability to have to sound more fluent in English. By gaining the knowledge and skill of...  [Read more]

Fri, 22 Feb 2019 Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences 3 Common Pronunciation Problems for Students in Peru Difficulty with pronunciation is likely something that every EFL teacher will face at one point or another in their career. Every language in the world has different ways of pronouncing different words/ letters. In addition to this, most speakers of other languages have heavy accents that can make pronouncing English words very difficult. This can be a challenge when teaching English as a foreign language. It can be especially challenging because not all learners around the world will face the same problems. Students in Vietnam will likely have different pronunciation problems than students in Kenya and students in Brazil will likely have different pronunciation problems than students...  [Read more]

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Why Learning L2 is Harder Than L1 Over the past two years, as part of an international community, I've had the pleasure of meeting people from all over the world. We share the common experience of learning an L2. I've spoken to nearly 100 people now, and what I've learned about learning L2 is, well, it's hard. Table of Contents So why is learning L2 so much harder than L1? L2 is challenging to learn, especially for older adults. This makes L2 very hard to use spontaneously in certain situations. As you can see, this lack of necessity is quite damaging to L2. Why? Maybe I just don't possess a natural ability to learn. Our L1 learning is so gradual. This has become very apparent to me throughout my TEFL course. Do you want to teach...  [Read more]

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The 4 Most Important Reasons Why Is English So Challenging for Chinese Learners In this blog post, I plan to examine why English may be such a challenging language for Chinese speakers to master, namely in comparison to their European peers. For the purpose of this examination, I will focus on four main aspects, from quite glaring differences to other aspects that some may not initially consider: written language, grammar, vocabulary, and language exposure. Table of Contents Chinese does not use an alphabet for written language Grammatically, Chinese and English stand worlds apart Challenges with vocabulary Exposure to English is very limited in China Are you ready to teach English in China? Related Articles: Listen to this blog...  [Read more]

Tue, 21 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Foreign Language Experience in The Teaching Practice Although many ESL teachers do have foreign language experience, many are not aware of how much this experience benefits them. Sure, if they are teaching English in Japan, having Japanese language experience is helpful for daily life situations, but how could it bleed into the classroom as well? And the language experience doesn't necessarily have to involve the first language of the students, either. Having foreign language experiences allows the teacher to understand just how hard learning a language is, can understand where certain errors may come from, see English from a different perspective, and gives them a stronger grasp on English grammar. Table of Contents Having...  [Read more]

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The World Status of The English Language A global language is a language spoken internationally, the most popular one being English. It is learned by many people as a second language. Table of Contents Word Origin Global Communication Language Structure Cultural Importance Challenges For Learners Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Damian B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Word Origin A big part of the lexical units in the English language was taken from German, Latin, French, and other European countries. People think that languages have a strong relation between...  [Read more]

Internation TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Internation 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 C.P. - U.S.A. said: Why Complete a tefl course When I decided I wanted to teach abroad, I discovered that I would need to take a TEFL/tesol course. To be honest, I didn?t really understand why. I was actually kind of frustrated that I had to take more training to do something I knew how to do. After all, I?m graduating with a BA in English and a BS in Education; I was a substitute teacher for two years. shouldn?t I be able to teach the language I?ve used my entire life? I had no idea...  [Read more]

Achieve TEFL certificate Check out tefl tesol about Achieve TEFL certificate 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 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]

Tue, 17 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why Games are an Integral Part of ESL Classrooms Learning an unfamiliar language is no easy feat and with the globalization of the English language, more and more people are faced with the task of learning English to better their lives. It is no secret that English is one of the more difficult languages to learn given its many peculiarities and the lack of clues to pronunciation. This makes learning English not only more complicated but often frustrating for students who have difficulties understanding certain concepts. This is where games can have a huge impact. Table of Contents Motivation and Interest Confidence Needs Useful Materials Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written...  [Read more]

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Several Common Challenges for French-Speaking ESL Students French are bad at speaking English, it's a fact, proven by many studies but also by the shameful spectacle of our politician trying to say things in Shakespeare's language. The Elite not having a decent level it is hard to blame the population for not trying very hard. International studies are all putting French students at the last position in Europe for mastering English skills. Even more alarming in 2008 the TOEFL results were putting France at the 69th rank on 109 countries. In 9th Grade, only 14% of the students have an "independent level" according to a 2011 study of the European Commission (we also note that only 9% of English 9 graders are "independent" in...  [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 Why I Found Taking a TEFL Course Beneficial | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on taking a TEFL course. Several Reasons to Learn Important Teaching Skills | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why learn teaching skills? Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts in this blog post. Teaching English in Indigenous ESL Classrooms in Remote Parts of Australia | ITTT | TEFL Blog Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post contains information on working in...  [Read more]

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why Reading and Listening Skills are Important? It is well-known that when we learn any language, listening, speaking, reading and writing are all important during language learning. Why do we learn a language the final goal is to communicate with others. Today I'd like to talk about the importance of learning reading and listening. The reasons for reading and listening can be contributed to the following parts. Firstly, we may read or listen for a particular aim or goal. Secondly, we may for entertainment, such as listening to their favorite songs and so on. Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Ways to Learn Anticipated Problems Personal Experience Forming Good Habits Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course...  [Read more]

Fri, 22 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A Teacher’s Role in The Development of Student Motivation Although it is important that a teacher maintains the students' motivation throughout the course, the initial stages are particularly important because they lay the foundation for the course. For example, if a strong motivational atmosphere is not initially established then he/she will have more difficulty motivating them when correction is needed in the later stages. If a strong motivational foundation is laid then the students' will understand that the teacher has their best interests at heart and is trying to help them as best as he/she can. Table of Contents Relationships Teacher's Interest and Love Engagement Special Occasions Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a...  [Read more]

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Why is Teaching Vocabulary so Important? Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills like Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, speaking, writing, spelling, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. When he/she is confronted with a native English Speaker, when watching a movie or when listening to a favorite song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. Table of Contents Why is vocabulary important? Techniques for memorizing vocabulary In conclusion Do you want to teach English abroad?...  [Read more]

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Am I Too Old to Learn a New Language? If you're a native language speaker, you've likely heard the phrase, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". There has been little evidence found to support this claim, but the belief persists. Many adult learners believe that it is too late for them to learn a new language. If you are teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language you may find yourself teaching a class of adult learners. Adult learners differ in many ways from young learners, and one such issue you may encounter is a doubt from the learners that they are capable of picking up a new language now that they are no longer children. Though the style of learning and the issues encountered will inevitably differ from those of...  [Read more]

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences How Learning Chinese Made Me A Better English Teacher In China The following blog post is about an ITTT graduate who shares his story on how learning Chinese helped him to become a better English teacher in China. Table of Contents What do you call someone who speaks only one language? "My insights into their language and culture were incredibly helpful." "Many Chinese are anxious about speaking English with natives - more so than is to be considered normative." "The best ESL teachers are the ones with experience with the native language of their students." Listen to this blog post Now it's your turn to get TEFL certified! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joseph S. What do you call someone...  [Read more]

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas 5 Best Approaches to Teaching Grammar to Young ESL Learners English is not the native language of those who begin to learn English. For children in Vietnam as a country using English as a second language, learning English grammar is difficult for children to learn. So how to teach children grammar effectively and children remember and use it most naturally. Table of Contents 1. Learn grammar through games: 2. Practice: 3. Learning English in a mixed and systematic way: 4. Set up groups, create environments for children to read and write. 5. Simplify, review and edit: Are you ready to teach English abroad or online? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video...  [Read more]

Our ITTT TEFL and TESOL Alumni Stories How to Make a Classroom More Interactive Kavinna Batra Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Are you a teacher and are looking for ways to make your classroom more interactive? ✅ This blog post will go through a couple of creative and easy ways you can do just that! 6 Tips on How to Learn English Quickly Kavinna Batra Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas English is a fun language to learn; ✅ however, it can even throw off the most professional learner with complex spelling rules and difficult grammar. Learning English quickly could seem difficult, even though it is considered to be accessible and reasonably easy for many to learn. I'm here to tell you that as long as you have the right plan, you can learn English quickly and easily. ...  [Read more]

Do qualified teachers need a TEFL certification? Many fully certified teachers decide to head overseas to teach rather than stay in their home country. For some newly qualified teachers it can be hard to find a suitable job so they go abroad to gain valuable classroom experience, while others might simply be looking for a change of direction. Whatever your reasons, teaching is one of the few professions that allow you to develop your skills and knowledge and increase your experience and employability, while travelling the world and exploring new countries and cultures. If you think this is the right path for you, the next step is to think about how your CV/resume will stand out when applying for the best jobs in the most exciting locations. Do qualified teachers need a TEFL certificate?...  [Read more]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers How Self-Analysis and Reflection Can Help a Teacher Improve Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate considers self-analysis and reflection as a part of successful teaching. Why English Speaking is Difficult for Many Thai Learners Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate explains some reasons why English speaking is so difficult for Thai learners. Useful Techniques for Increasing Teacher Confidence in the Classroom Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Confidence is important for teachers. Our TEFL graduate suggests several strategies to increase your confidence in the classroom. What Strategies to Implement for Classroom Management? Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Mon, 10 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Troubleshooting in TEFL Teaching With the rapid development of the times, today's education is very different from the past. There are some new characteristics for the current education. Teachers are facing many new situations and problems. Teachers need to accept challenges and adjust their roles in time to adapt to the development of today's education. Table of Contents Why do language teachers encounter all kinds of problems in class? How to build rapport? Another difficulty we meet is the different levels of our students. Do you want to teach English abroad or online? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Legitimate TEFL Centers Check out tefl tesol about Legitimate TEFL Centers 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 C.S - Thailand said: TEFL for non native speakersI?m a thai national born and raised in thailand. Being a non native english speaker, I?ve faced many difficulties in learning and understanding English since the beginning. Pronunciation was difficult, grammar was difficult, and I believe learning and just REMEMBERING all the tenses, modals, and verb forms would have been nearly impossible without the fortunate help I had from many American, Filipino, and European friends,...  [Read more]

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why a Diverse-Aged Group is Difficult to Teach There are many potential problems when teaching is considered. With the teaching of a foreign language, especially in a culturally reserved country such as Turkey, the possible issues become bigger or more. I do not believe it would be very useful or beneficial neither for the teacher nor the students to put people with big age differences in the same class, trying to learn the same subject from the same teacher. There are many disadvantages as opposed to weak advantages in doing so. Table of Contents Level of Motivation Learning Goals Interaction Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate...  [Read more]

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Things I Wished I Knew When Teaching English as a Foreign Language in a Kindergarten If someone asks me what I think about teaching kindergarten children as a native English teacher (NET), I would say that it is one of the happiest and most rewarding experiences that I have ever received. But, if someone asked me what I thought about teaching kindergarten children when I first started, I would have responded differently. I would say, "I can't seem to get my students' attention," or "Some of my students still have trouble learning new words." It was after a few weeks into teaching and some wonderful advice from my coworkers I realized that I had overlooked the fact that the students' age, perception, and interests play an...  [Read more]

Thu, 16 May 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Common Troubles of the Chinese Students You’ll Definitely Notice English is one of the most widely spoken languages and it is taught in a lot of countries. Globalization, fast economic development makes many people study English. People learn English for different reasons: business, education, life abroad, traveling, personal interest. Chinese students are not an exception. With the growing economies of China, the need for learning English increased dramatically. What challenges do Chinese students face when learning English? What challenges does the teacher meet teaching Chinese students? What teaching approach can be found? Table of Contents 1. Motivation 2. Education 3. National character 4. Language difference 5. Grammar 6....  [Read more]

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 Kavinna Batra Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas 6 Tips on How to Learn English Quickly English is a fun language to learn; however, it can even throw off the most professional learner with complex spelling rules and difficult grammar. Learning English quickly could seem difficult, even though it is considered to be accessible and reasonably easy for many to learn. I'm here to tell you that as long as you have the right plan, you can learn English quickly and easily. Table of Contents Here are 6 tips on how to learn English quickly: 1. Don't get annoyed when you're down 2. Begin with what you truly need 4. Situate yourself in an English environment 5. Whatever Floats Your Boat 6. When you're in doubt, just ask! Are you ready to teach English to speakers of other...  [Read more]

Mon, 20 May 2019 Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Why Exposure is Important when Learning a Second Language Unlike learning a first language, learning a second language is a task that can sometimes seem frustrating and at times even impossible. There are many reasons for this as learning a second language is very different than learning your mother tongue. Firstly, there are biological factors involved and the fact that normally children tend to assimilate things more easily than adults. Secondly, it is often harder to get the same level of exposure to the language than it is when learning a native language where repetition from parents etc. is constant. That is why when you sign up for an English class, or any other language for that matter, teachers will try to replicate that...  [Read more]

Lesson Course TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Lesson Course 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 C.S. - U.S.A. said: Problems for learners in south koreaAs korea attracts more and more foreigners that live and visit the country, koreans are likely to be exposed to English and pick up certain vocabulary words. This is especially true for koreans that live in the cities according to the Frankfurt International School. Darian Godfrey of tesolcourse.com addresses the fact that a typical ESL student in korea has acquired a vocabulary of English words that they use on a daily...  [Read more]

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Vocabulary as the Main Part of ESL Learning Vocabulary represents one of the most important skills necessary for teaching and learning a foreign language. It is the basis for the development of all the other skills like Reading comprehension, Listening comprehension, speaking, writing, and pronunciation. Vocabulary is the main tool for students to use English effectively. When he/she is confronted with a native English Speaker, when watching a movie or when listening to a favorite song, when reading a text or when writing a letter to a friend, students will always need to operate with words. Table of Contents WHY IS VOCABULARY IMPORTANT? TECHNIQUES FOR MEMORIZING VOCABULARY: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!...  [Read more]

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most Common Problems for English Learners in Spanish-Speaking Colombia For this assignment, I decided to research problems experienced by Colombian students learning English. I will be teaching English in Colombia and thought this subject would benefit me. My findings more generally reflect the difficulties of Spanish-speaking learners. The paper outlines the top ten difficulties for Spanish-speakers learning English (vocabulary, spelling/pronunciation, subject-verb-agreement, verb tense, dialects, subject omission, pronunciation, stress, slang, and literal translations) based on CCJK (2019). Where possible I relate this information to my experiences/examples and units in the TEFL course. Table of Contents Vocabulary difficulties...  [Read more]