Why Learning English Is Difficult

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How to Approach Lesson Planning to Develop Independent Problem Solving Abstraction is in essence, the formation of broader, and more difficult and subjective systems from inputs. It is a concept that can be applied to the four language skills: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. As an idea becomes more abstract and subjective, it requires more information and becomes more difficult to answer. Some of the easiest and least abstract pieces of language are simple Yes/No statements and questions. "Do you like ice-cream?" "Yes, I do." "No, I don't." A more difficult question might be, "Who likes ice-cream?" More difficult still would be, "Why do you like ice-cream?" A simple, but by no means an exhaustive list of abstraction moving...  [Read more]

How hard is the TEFL exam? Many prospective English teachers wonder about the difficulty of a TEFL exam. At ITTT, our focus is on delivering top-tier teacher training complemented by thorough pre- and post-course support. This comprehensive approach ensures that our students are well-prepared for any tests their course requires. As evidence of our program's efficacy, we boast a pass rate of over 90% - among the highest in the TEFL industry. Thus, while our TEFL courses require dedication and effort, with the right preparation and commitment, a pass is highly achievable. Table of Contents Is a TEFL certification course difficult? How difficult is the TEFL exam? Is a TEFL certification course difficult? Comparable to a university-level program, a rigorous TEFL course demands dedication and...  [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]

TEFL Job in New Zealand Date posted:2012-09-04 | Writer: EF International Language School | Email: [email protected] Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Check out ITTT's Blog Posts Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching.   This unit summarized the most common troubles a teacher may encounter starting with the difference between...  [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]

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences It Can’t Be Stressed Enough: English Is Stressful Experiencing stress in a classroom can be inhibitory to the learning process of a student; however, stress can originate from many causes and cannot always be avoided as the cause may be an integral part of learning, especially in the case of new languages. Students learning English will have to learn to accept and overcome stress as part of the process if they hope to not allow stress to inhibit their learning. Understanding when and why difficulty is being experienced may help a student overcome these issues, and it can help a teacher support his or her students through difficulty. Table of Contents Fear of Failure Miscommunication Presentation Do you want to help your...  [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]

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Ways to Encourage ESL Students: Common Fears and Challenges This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Michela C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Table of Contents I'm afraid of making a mistake But it's too difficult/easy I'm very shy/insecure How will I know if I'm getting better? What can I do to be a good student? 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! I'm afraid of making a mistake You are in a classroom with people that have the same level of linguistic skills as you and your teacher is there to help you, not to judge you. Mistakes...  [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, 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]

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Best Games for Young English Learners Nowadays there is a wide variety of how to teach English. Every teacher uses his or her unique methodologies and techniques to make lessons more informative and entertaining. One of the approaches could be using educational games in the classroom. Table of Contents Children's Learning Ability Educational Games Benefits of Educational Games Reasons to Use Games in the Classroom Attention Span Furthermore, playing games motivate kids to study better and naturally use English. Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Games in the classroom are a great tool for teachers as they can be adapted to different ages and levels. Within this essay, I would like to...  [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]

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]

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]

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 Do you want to teach English in South-Korea? Related Articles: 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]

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]

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]

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]

Mon, 03 Jun 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Reasons Why Pronunciation is More Difficult for Adults than Children in El Salvador Pronunciation problems in El Salvador is very common, as many know Spanish is the main Language in this country, people in El Salvador tend to speak their native Language all the time because this is what they feel more comfortable with, as there is not any other dialect, other than Spanish, they are taught English in school, English Is the only language taught in El Salvador in public schools, but only for those that can attend one, this is because there are many people that can't attend a school due to economic matter, family problems or due to the work that is done in their household many don't have time to study and there are kids that can't...  [Read more]

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What is Challenging in English Pronunciation for Japanese Native Speakers? What's the most difficult part of learning a new language? Is it writing? Perhaps it's the reading or memorizing new vocabulary? Well for some it's speaking the new language, specifically when it comes to pronunciation. Every language has its unique ways or pronouncing their vowels and constants as well as how they form their sentence structure. Especially this write up will focus on Japanese English as a Second Language (ESL) students and the difficulties they face while learning English and its pronunciation. Table of Contents Japanese Writing Teaching Approach Pronunciation Differences Further Steps Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL...  [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]

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The Most Useful Games in The ESL Classroom Nowadays there is a wide variety of how to teach English. Every teacher uses his or her unique methodologies and techniques to make lessons more informative and entertaining. One of the approaches could be using educational games in the classroom. Table of Contents Games in the classroom are a great tool for teachers as they can be adapted to different ages and levels. Furthermore, playing games motivate kids to study better and naturally use English. Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Kristina S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT....  [Read more]

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Why Phonetics and Phonology are Fundamental for Pronunciation According to the Cambridge Dictionary, pronunciation is "how words are pronounced. Pronunciation can be an intimidating prospect for English language learners, especially since English phonetics and phonology hardly seem consistent. The difficulty of English pronunciation should not be underestimated as speaking is a vital component of language learning. Confidence in this skill can be closely linked to students' accuracy and fluency. Therefore, a teacher should understand the basics of phonology and phonetics to help build students' confidence in their speaking skills. Table of Contents Phonetics is useful in explaining how words are pronounced. While phonetics and...  [Read more]

Fri, 19 Jun 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas My Vietnamese Experience: Challenges for English Learners in Vietnam I have traveled throughout Asia for some forty-five years, Vietnam is now my home. I always found the younger generations had a thirst for knowledge, particularly English as a second language. The difficulties of acquiring the knowledge under what was a repressive regime have diminished somewhat, but the major stumbling blocks to acquiring good English are the lack of experienced Vietnamese teachers, interaction with English natural speakers, and knowledge of the outside world in general. Table of Contents The Importance of English Elementary levels tend to be more difficult to teach, as they usually consider the class as a social event, more of a relief from a...  [Read more]

Dates Combined TEFL Check out tefl tesol about Dates Combined 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 B.W. China said: Pronunciation Problems for students in ChinaIn china there is not just one language, but a few different dialects including Mandarin (spoken by about 70% of the population) plus Cantonese, Taiwanese and Wu. English and chinese belong to two different language families and are significantly different. Firstly, unlike English, chinese doesn?t have an alphabet and uses a logographic system for its written language. These are symbols, which represent words. Because...  [Read more]

Mon, 06 Jan 2020 Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas How English Grammar Can be Acquired More Effectively by ESL Students Grammar, the key element to all languages, is, by all means, the first thing which everyone must have a clear understanding of before acquiring such language. From parts of speech to sentence structure, the complexity of grammar doesn't seem to have a sign of decrease as ESL students' vocabulary range increases. In all respects, the fundamental problem to all learners who treat English as a second language is that they never take it as a first language but try to understand the meaning behind every word with the aid of their mother tongue, their first language. In this essay, I would like to focus on one of the smallest parts of grammar - syntax as the starting...  [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]

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]

The Best Teaching Ideas for TEFL Teachers The Role of Multiple Intelligences in The Lesson Planning Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on how to apply the MI theory in lesson planning. 3 Strategies of The Classroom Management in TEFL Teaching Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on classroom management. Why Playing Games in a Classroom is Beneficial for Students and Teachers Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on using games in the classroom. What is a Driving Engine of EFL Students’ Motivation? Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate...  [Read more]