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What are the best books for teaching ESL? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
The realm of ESL teaching books is expansive, with renowned publishers offering a plethora of resources. Generally, ESL teaching materials can be categorized into:
These categories encompass a range of tools, from structured lesson plans to interactive activities, essential for any ESL educator.
Book Series
Teaching Theory Books
Activity Resources
There are a number of well known book series. These are specifically written for the ESL teaching market and are generally set at the five levels most often taught. These levels are Starter or Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, and Upper-Intermediate.
A typical book series at each level will contain three books. These are the teacher book, student book and resources book (or similar names). The teacher book gives an outline... [Read more]
What are some useful ESL teaching resource books? - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Teaching Ideas
The market for ESL teaching books is very large and all the major publishers have some form of involvement in the production and selling of these resources. There are many different types of books and resources that are used in ESL teaching and we will consider three main categories.1) General teaching theory books2) ESL book series3) Activity resource books
General teaching theory books
ESL book series
Activity Resource books
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As an ESL teacher unless you spend your entire career teaching kindergarten, you are going to have to teach English grammar. There are many books that cover this well and you... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/resource Books Part 2 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Let's just consider next, when using these resource books, the student book, the workbook and the teachers resource book, what are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using those types of materials? Well, firstly, the main advantage perhaps of using these types of material is that it's quicker than actually creating your own. Secondly, the course books that you will get will be graded for a particular level. So there'll be a set of books for the starter level, a set of books for the elementary level and so on and so forth. So you know that the activities and materials in there will have been graded for level. The use of the book can also offer continuity so that the syllabuses have been covered in a particular way by the book itself and are presented in a logical order.... [Read more]
Basic Sentence Structures - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is the perfect sheet to hand out to your students to help them with the most basic sentence structures in English. Ideal for beginners to build a strong language foundation.
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The Basic Types of Adverbs - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ Usage & Adverb Examples in English
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Let's take a look at the six basic types of adverbs in English. Learn useful usage, example words, and example sentences of different adverbs types in English with this printable ESL infographic.
Usage: Describes when or for how long a certain action happened.
Example words: Already, ago, before, yet, never, soon, yesterday, soon, lately
Example sentences:
Usage: Describes how often something occurs, either indefinite or indefinite terms.
Example words: Always, usually, normally, often, sometimes, occasionally, once, seldom, rarely, never
Example sentences:
Usage: Tells about where something happens or where something is.
Example words: Here, everywhere, near, nearby, down, away,... [Read more]
Basic Preposition Worksheet - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is a sheet for younger students to practice the basic prepositions. Have them put the right preposition in the gap and then color the sheet in.
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TEFL Teacher - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
English is studied as an additional language by millions of people worldwide and it is generally one of the most commonly used second languages in most regions. This study can take place in a wide variety of schools and language centers, but the one thing they typically have in common is that the study is led by a language tutor known as a TEFL teacher (or a similar variant such as EFL teacher, ESL teacher, etc). A TEFL teacher’s role is to gradually build the four language skills of their students; reading, writing, speaking, and listening, to ensure they are able to reach their personal goals, whether for work, study, travel, or any other reason.
Please note: the acronym TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
As the number of worldwide English learners is so high,... [Read more]
14 Course Books to Improve Your Business English Classes - TEFL Blog
Jon ITTT
TEFL Information
Business English falls under the umbrella of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and is an area of English language teaching that focuses on the language students need in order to function in an international business setting. It is a popular sector for qualified TEFL teachers to work in and one that can be financially rewarding. Students taking business English classes will generally already have a reasonable level of English language ability and course books tend to be aimed at pre-intermediate level students and above but there are books aimed at lower level students.
Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Pearson/Longman
Macmillan
Collins ELT
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The 3 Basic Functions of a Good Teacher - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
Teachers play a number of very important roles in the education process. Education forms a significant part of everyone's lives as it can contribute directly towards future possibilities and the roles we can play in society. This essay will discuss three of the most important roles played by teachers. The first is the role is that of a facilitator of learning and education, the second role is that of the role model, and the final is the role of the mentor and motivator.
1. Educator
2. Role Model
3. Mentor
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Monika G.
The most widely acknowledged role played by the teacher is that of the educator - to teach... [Read more]
Course Books for Business English ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Business English is an area of English language teaching and learning that is part of the wider category of English for Specific Purposes. Unlike general English, business English focuses on the language students need in order to function in an international business setting. Students taking business English classes will generally already have a reasonable level of English language ability and course books tend to be aimed at pre-intermediate level students and above.
There are several publishers involved in producing course books for the business English classroom. The main ones are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce business English course books across a range of levels in British, American and International English... [Read more]
General English Course Books for Young Learners ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
General English course books for young learners differ from those for adults in a number of ways. Obviously the types of topics will be geared towards the interests of younger people but there are also differences in the way the language is presented. Grammar chants are a popular method of drilling grammar points in books for young learners and while course books for adults will generally have sections with explicit presentations of a grammar point, books for young learners do not usually cover grammar in such detail, especially those for very young learners.
There are several publishers involved in producing general English course books for young learners. The main publishers are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce course books across... [Read more]
General English Course Books for Adults ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
There are several publishers involved in producing course books for the ESL classroom. The main publishers are Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These two publishers produce course books across a range of ESL sectors including, young learners, adults, business English, and English for specific purposes.
General English course books for adults will include topics geared towards the interest of adults such as the world of work, entertainment, socialising etc. They will also have more detailed explanations of grammar than you would find in books aimed at young learners.
The majority of these course books can be ordered directly through the’ websites of the publishers, online from Amazon or in the EFL section at your local bookshop. Depending where you are located,... [Read more]
How I learned Basic Teaching Skills in China - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
I have been working in China for more than six months now and it's been a very interesting time for me not just to learn more about the country and its people, but also to enrich my teaching skills and grow professionally as a teacher.
Specific Approach
Assistance
Teaching an extremely large classroom
Total physical response
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Evgeniya S.
When I arrived in China, I hardly knew anything about specific features of teaching in that country, so I thought that the knowledge I had was quite enough to handle the classes in kindergarten or primary school. But since my first working day, I have often been surprised and even sometimes perplexed by... [Read more]
Course Books for English for Specific Purposes and English for Academic Purposes ▷ Infographic - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
English for Specific Purposes is an area of English language teaching and learning that encompasses business English, English for Academic Purposes as well as courses that teach English needed for specific professions. In this infographic we look at course books aimed at teaching English to those in certain professions such as finance, law, tourism, medicine and aviation. We also look at course books available for teaching English for Academic Purposes. EAP focuses on the language and skills needed for students to study in English at university level. As with other English teaching, EAP deals with reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as vocabulary and grammar but these are linked to the students’ specific study needs such as essay writing.
There are several... [Read more]
10 Idioms About Books - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Here are 10 fun idioms about books to share with your ESL students.
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Speaking Activity: Conversation Cards about Books - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Using speaking cards is a great way to encourage conversations among ESL learners. The cards act as guides to give the students a direction in their conversations. Below you will find conversation cards about books and reading for your ESL classroom.
Let's take a look at all of the questions and possible answers.
Possible answer: I recently finished reading the first book of the Outlander series. It's a fantastic book about an English woman from 1945 who travels back in time to Scotland in 1745. The story is very compelling and the characters' personalities are very well thought-through.
Possible answer: One of my favorite books is "The Da Vinci Code" written by Dan Brown. Even though it is a fictional story, Dan... [Read more]
The Basics of Planning and Reviewing a Lesson - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
The lesson plan functions as a roadmap for the teacher, providing an organized framework for the planning, preparation, and execution of the lesson and serving as a record of what has been completed. It should not be a detailed script, but rather a guide that allows for flexibility and adaptation in the classroom. The plan is a living document that may continue to be refined and enhanced after execution, incorporating lessons learned.
Basic Class Identification
Learner Objectives
Personal Aim
Language Point
Anticipated Problems and Solutions
Procedure Information
Lesson Review
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Simona H. Please note that this blog post might... [Read more]
5 Effective Ways to Inspire Children's Passion for Books - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Nowadays, we see children who readily pick up an iPad instead of a book. It seems that reading is not as popular as it used to be. It is lessening. Reading is a receptive skill, and it is a meaningful activity that should be enjoyed by all children. So how can we instill a love for reading in children? As a person who has a passion for reading, I would like to make some recommendations.
Teach the Importance of Reading
Make Books Accessible or Low-Cost
Use Positive Reinforcement
Assess Reading Activity and Performance
Make Reading Fun!
Conclusion
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this... [Read more]
What Books to Use: An Overview of The ESL Teaching Materials - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hey everybody it's lisa here and i'm super glad to welcome you to the weekly live stream by itt um if you don't know me yet um once again my name is lisa and i'm a non-native english teacher from russia i've been working online primarily since 2020 and today um i would like to reach out to you and tell you about um some esl course books uh to pick out for your uh teaching i'm not going to dig into details i'm just going to briefly present my approach how i choose the most appropriate materials but anyways i hope that this topic um will be interesting and helpful so uh stay tuned uh and um let me know that you hear and see me clearly because uh right now i i can see that there are seven people watching but i'm not sure if my equipment works well so uh we've got this comment section uh... [Read more]
WH Questions Words - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Wh question words are a vital part of English grammar. In the image below, we showcase the 8 basic wh question words in English with usage and example sentences to help you master your English grammar.
List of questions words
Usage: WHO is used to ask the person who did the action.
Examples:
Usage: WHAT is used to ask for information.
Examples:
Usage: WHEN is used to ask the time of an event/action.
Examples:
Usage: WHERE is used to ask for the location.
Examples:
Usage: WHY is used to ask for a reason/cause.
Examples:
Usage: HOW is used to explain a process.
Examples:
Usage: WHICH is used when there is a choice.
Examples:
Usage: WHOSE is used to... [Read more]
Overview of the Best Online Teaching Platforms - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hello hello hello everybody this is here and we are just about to start our new live session uh thanks for joining me and uh while we are waiting for more people uh to come please let me know that you can hear me clearly and you can see me clearly there is a comments box um so you can use it uh to communicate with me and i really appreciate you use it because when there is interaction during the live session it's always much easier for myself to present um and feel a little bit more comfortable because i basically speak to myself uh right now and when i don't see any comments i feel a little bit confused you know um and let me share the topic of today's session so that everyone can see it uh today we are going to talk about um different online teaching platforms i hope that this topic... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/resource Books Part 1 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The next item that we're going to consider is the use of resource books. There are many different types of resource books available and within those books there tends to be a general pattern and typically the resource book pack will come in a three book series and typically that three book series will be in the form of the student book, a workbook and a teacher's resource book. So for example here are those three books for this particular series called ?Total English? and in the student book the type of information that we can gain from here is the actual background to the teaching points themselves plus some additional information in terms of short worksheets and so on and so forth and tape transcripts at the end for listening activities, which these days often come on a CD rather... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Teaching English Esl Efl Tips/zero Conditional Teaching Idea - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The zero conditional is the most basic form of the conditionals in the English language. This is a teaching idea for the zero conditional that can also be adjusted for any other types of conditionals.
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 convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next.
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It gives me an overview of choosing topics, text and tasks to create interest among the students. I personally think that the pre-existent knowledge of students is... [Read more]
Readers Are Leaders: How to Instill a Love for Reading in Children? - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
Children usually prioritize their joy and prefer rewarding activities. They are more interested in reading when it is rewarding and beneficial to them. Interestingly, children learning a second language find it easier to learn reading compared to those who are learning to read for the first time. This is because young second language (L2) learners have already experienced that reading can be interesting and entertaining. By making reading in a second language interesting, students are likely to be motivated.
Text Difficulty and Vocabulary Support
Setting Achievable Reading Goals
Tailoring Reading Material to Children's Interests
Reading and Writing as Positive Activities
Empowering Children's Choice in Reading
Engaging Activities to... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Coursebooks And Materials/making Best Use Coursebook - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
So how do we actually make best use of the course book? Well, just a couple of factors that you need to keep into consideration when using these types of material, use the course book to help you create a balanced lesson in terms of the range of skills that are being taught and the actual types of material within that the grammar or vocabulary. Secondly, don't use it all the time, particularly with things like activities, we can create our own materials and we can tailor those materials much more specifically to the actual class that we're teaching. As very often the actual creations in the book are very general, we can make our own materials much more specific. The third thing you need to be aware of is that you can't always rely 100% on the information that's presented in those... [Read more]
Leaders Are Readers: How to Develop Children’s Interest for Reading - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Reading it's a skill which we learn when we are children. Some children learn to read before they start to join the elementary school, it depends on parents always. But how we can instill a love for reading in children?
Parents Role
Reading Activities For The Classroom
Benefits of Reading
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Radka S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Parents should read a children's books since childhood like this the relationship between parents and a child become stronger, the child gets to know emotions by reading books and it becomes a favorite activity of a child... [Read more]
Teaching a Multilingual Classroom: The Importance of Understanding Basic, Building Block Language Concepts - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Teachers of English as a Foreign Language are often native English speakers. As such, there are many language concepts, especially grammatical ones, that are subconsciously understood due to having learned them in early childhood. One of the most important parts of TEFL training is relearning these concepts from the perspective of one who does not speak English. This can often be one of the most revelatory parts of the process as it can be disconcerting to uncover seemingly unfamiliar concepts and rules to language one already know perfectly. In a monolingual class, this can sometimes be remedied by relating vocabulary and concepts to the students' native language. In a multilingual classroom, a classroom whose students do not all share the same native... [Read more]
London Picture Description - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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This is an EFL reading and matching exercise to practice basic structures. The students read the sentences and say which picture is being described. There is plenty more detail in these pictures, so you could also have your students write additional sentences themselves.
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Tefl reviews - Tefl 120 Hour Course Unit 14 - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Unit 14 looks at course books and other materials that can be used in your English language lessons. The unit discusses the differences between authentic and created materials and why and when each should be used in a class. It also covers the advantages and disadvantages of using course books and the best ways to use a course book in your lessons.
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 convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next.
Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!
My last unit... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Productive Receptive Skills/speaking Activities - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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 students to actually create their own answers to this particular question.... [Read more]