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How and When Should a TEFL Teacher Adjust Their Teaching Style? - TEFL Blog
Mark Crocker
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
English is one of the most common languages in the world. Knowing English can help people communicate with others from different countries and seek opportunities to have a better job or life. English can bring benefits to everyone, no matter how old they are. Therefore, English is becoming essential in many areas and more people, from kids to adults, are learning it as a second language. To help people learn English effectively, teachers play a significant role in their learning progress. There are many types of students and depending on their needs, ages, and personalities, teachers must learn how to adjust their teaching styles accordingly.
Different Reasons For Learning English
Different Age Groups - Children
Different Age Groups -... [Read more]
How Good Classroom Management Depends On Exemplary Teacher Behavior - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
When a class is managed well, there is a minimum of disruptions that distract from learning. This is more of an issue in a class for children, as opposed to adults. Nevertheless, in all classes, maintaining the comportment of the group to facilitate learning is the objective of sound classroom management techniques. Furthermore, it is also important to develop cordial and friendly relations with learners on an individual basis, and with the class as a whole. Having a rapport with students, and creating a classroom community that is based on shared rules and norms that are understood and reasonable for everybody, is an essential part of classroom management. When accomplished, this creates a classroom culture that students feel safe and welcome in. This... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Theories Methods Techniques Of Teaching Repition Drill Example - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
So let's take an example of what those drills might involve. So here is an example of a repetition drill. I will model the language and then my class will repeat after me. So "This is a cup." "Spoon" ? "This is a spoon." "Knife" - "his is a knife." Thank you. The reason that it's called or also called the army method is that it was the method adopted by the United States military who had personnel stationed around the world at the end of Second World War and they realized that they needed those personnel to pick up the language very quickly and one of the positive things about this particular methodology is that you do very quickly learn vocabulary. Another positive thing about it is that you quickly learn the correct pronunciation of that vocabulary. However, there are some... [Read more]
Which is the best age group to teach English? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Teaching English abroad can offer an array of age groups to choose from, depending on your destination. Choosing the right age group largely depends on individual preferences as every teacher has their unique teaching style. Some teachers might opt to work with younger kids, attracted by the high energy level and fun-oriented environment that typically characterizes this group. Conversely, others might gravitate towards adult learners who usually prefer a calmer, more scholarly environment.
What are the different age levels you can teach English?
The pros and cons of teaching English at kindergarten level
Pros:
Cons:
The pros and cons of teaching English to young learners
Pros:
Cons:
The pros and cons of teaching English to adults
Pros:
Cons:
What is the best age group to teach English to?... [Read more]
What Makes You a Good Teacher? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
The role of a teacher is to help students acquire knowledge so that eventually, they can be competent in understanding and communicating in English. A good teacher is a successful teacher. The success or failure of a teacher lies not only on his/her teaching styles, but more importantly, the learning of the students. To a certain extent, the personality of the teacher may affect the learning of his/her students, but what is more indispensable is the relationship between the teacher and the students. A non-threatening relationship with the students can help to build the students' interests in learning, and create an atmosphere that is conducive and light-hearted for learning. A good teacher is also a responsible teacher who takes time in planning and... [Read more]
What are TEFL acronyms? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
Acronyms are an essential tool used in all professions and technical writing. They are powerful tools to reduce word content. However without knowing what the acronym stands for, they can form a barrier to understanding. In the ESL (English as a Second Language) teaching world there is certainly no shortage of acronyms. Here we look at a few and one in particular, TEFL.
Some useful teaching acronyms are:
ELT: English Language Teaching. This is a general term for teaching English and applies to the teaching of English to both native and non-native English speakers.
ELL: English Language Learner. This is a general term for anyone learning English and applies to learners of English who are native or non-native English speakers.
ESL: English as a Second Language: This relates to the teaching... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - The Esa Methodology Of Teaching Patchwork Esa Lesson - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
A final example is going to be an example of a patchwork ESA lesson and remember we said the form of this particular lesson will start with and engage always and will finish with and activate and there'll be some variation of E, S and A within the brackets here. So we're going to generate our patchwork ESA lesson as follows. Starting with the engage, the students are going to look at holiday photos and talk about what they like and don't like from what they see. From that, we're going to move directly into an activate phase and what the students are going to do is to make comments about holiday brochures and try to act out a role-play between the travel agent and a customer. Again, as this is taking place, the teacher will be moving around and looking for gaps in knowledge in terms... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - The Esa Methodology Of Teaching Sample Esa Lesson - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Now an example of a straight arrow ESA lesson for our engage phase. What we're going to do is to show the students a video of animals and they are going to say what they like about those animals and try to create a list of some more. So, remember what we're trying to do here is to get the students talking and thinking in English. We're using a typical engage activity, which is to create a list and we try to make sure that all the students have been involved in some way in creating those lists. Moving on to the study phase, the first part is going to be the board work and the teacher is going to try to elicit from the students what each of those animals can and can't do. Typically, what the students will say is just single words, so "run," "jump," "fly," etc. What we would then need... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - The Esa Methodology Of Teaching Boomerang Esa Lesson - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The next example is going to be that of a boomerang lesson and remember the structure is like this. So, again, we're going to start with an engage phase and for our engage, the students are just going to have a discussion about jobs. What happens at interviews and so on and so forth. So, during that engage phase, what we'd hope to do is to elicit some useful language about jobs and interviews and the types of questions that are being asked. Then, we're going to move immediately into an activate activity and this is going to involve a role-play. So, we'll break the students into pairs. One will be an interviewer, the other will be an interviewee and they'll generate the language that that role-play will produce. What the teacher can do whilst that is taking place is to go around and... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Teaching English Esl Efl Tips/giving Advice - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
Another way to approach teaching modal auxiliary verbs is in context, for example, "How to give advice". This is especially useful for students of higher levels that have some knowledge of the various modal auxiliary verbs.
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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I really liked this unit as well. I liked how the information was clearly and effectively provided on how we can incorporate speaking and... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Overview Of All English Tenses Present Tenses Present Simple Find Someone Who - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
A first example of a teaching idea for the present simple tense will be a classic activity called 'Find someone who'. Here, we will be trying to find someone who has a general truth such as the ability to play a musical instrument or the fact that they have a brother and a sister. This results in students going around the room asking questions in the present simple tense, such as 'Do you play a musical instrument?' 'Are you a teacher?' 'Do you have a brother and a sister?' The answers resulting will also be in the present simple tense. They will be generally 'Yes I do,' or 'No I don't.' The students will go around trying to find somebody who fits the general truth and when they do, they will write their name in the appropriate space. The students will mill around the room for... [Read more]
Group Teaching or Private Lessons? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
First of all, there's a great difference between teaching one-to-one and groups. Some teachers prefer teaching one-to-one as it gives teachers a better opportunity to focus on one student rather than giving attention to many students. Also, there are differences regarding the classroom of each type. For example in teaching groups, classrooms are more formal. That's why there would be more discipline in classrooms of groups. On the other hand, in teaching one-to-one, the classroom can be anywhere either in the student's home if lessons are private or even in the teacher's home.
Lesson planning
Student-centered approach
Establishing rapport
Choice of activities
Learn group and one-to-one teaching techniques on your TEFL course
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Listen... [Read more]
Tips for Stating the Date in English - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
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Writing dates in English can be done in a variety of ways. Here are some common ways to write dates in British and American English.
What is the correct format for dates in English? This is something very important to teach your students when teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL).
How to write the date in English usually depends on the following things: Whether you write a formal letter or an informal note; and whether you use British or American English. Let's take a look at the examples below. As you can see, there are a number of ways in which you can write the same date. As a general rule we can say that the more complicated the style of date, the more formal it is.
In British English (which is mainly used in... [Read more]
TEFL Shanghai - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL China ▷ combined course
Our TEFL course in eastern China is located in downtown Shanghai, 'the Paris of the East.' It is the largest, most prosperous and populous city in China. Shanghai is a popular tourist destination renowned for its historical landmarks such as The Bund, City God Temple and Yu Garden as well as the extensive Lujiazui skyline and major museums including the Shanghai Museum and the China Art Museum. It has been described as the "showpiece" of the booming economy of mainland China.
Shanghai has a rich collection of buildings and structures of various architectural styles. The Bund, located by the bank of the Huangpu River, contains a rich collection of early 20th-century architecture, ranging in style from neoclassical HSBC Building to the art deco Sassoon House. A number of areas in the... [Read more]
What is the best platform to teach English online? - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ TEFL FAQs
For those aspiring to teach English from the convenience of their homes or while traveling, several online platforms stand out in the TEFL world. Among the top platforms are Cambly, Italki and EF Education First. Just like traditional classroom educators, online English teachers are expected to meet specific criteria, ensuring quality and professionalism in this booming sector.
Requirements for teaching English online
Preply
EF Education First
Cambly
iTalki
SkimaTalk
StarKid
Protostar
LatinHire
The requirements for teaching online vary from one employer to the next, but there are a few common factors that many look for. Most online employers will expect you to have completed a TEFL course of at least 120 hours as this is the minimum level needed to cover all the most important areas of... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Classroom Management For Teaching English As A Foreign Language Classroom Arrangement - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The dynamics of classroom interaction is often dictated by the arrangement of the classroom itself and the way in which the classroom is arranged could depend upon a number of factors and they might include things such as the age of the students, so for example we're unlikely to have the same arrangement for adult learners as we would have for young learners. It could also depend upon the actual physical space available. The physical space may determine how we have to arrange our classroom to maximize the opportunity for interaction and so forth. It will also depend on what material is available and by material in this case we're talking about the actual desks and chairs and so on and so forth. Perhaps the final thing we might put here is that it could also depend upon the... [Read more]
Top Strategies for Effective Teaching of Grammar - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
Type in "teaching grammar effectively" into Google and the reader will be confronted with pages and pages of advice/frameworks/theories on how to effectively teach grammar.
8 Do's and Dont's for Effective Grammar Instruction
8 things to avoid
Alternative Approach
Theory
Explanations
Examples
Exercises
Supplementing the coursebook
Carry-over
7 tips for effective grammar instruction
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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Most of the content does acknowledge that there is no "golden rule" for effective grammar teaching before imparting their particular key rules or areas that should be incorporated into teaching grammar.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Joe S. Please note that this blog post might... [Read more]
Top 5 ESL Teacher Strategies for Your Online Classes - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
In this blog post, we will look at five strategies you can use t boost your effectiveness within the class and also as a general way of increasing your online business. Ideas covered include the use of gamification and individualization.
Watch the video about this topic
Gamification
Individualization
Charting your course
Strategies of content delivery
Narrowing down your niche
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
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Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
This idea isn't new but not many teachers appear to try to apply it to their online classes. There are several reasons why you should try it. (Especially as the majority of online classes are for young... [Read more]
Should the Theory of Multiple Intelligences Influence How Teachers Teach? - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
For almost a hundred years the IQ test, which tested reading and logical skills, was used to determine a person's general intelligence. Howard Gardener, a Harvard psychologist found this idea too limiting and in 1983 introduced his theory of multiple intelligences, where intelligence is made up of more diverse skills.
Gardener initially listed 7 intelligences:
Later, an eighth intelligence was added:
Principles of Intelligences Development
Doubts on the Gardener's Theory
Do not try to match a lesson to a student's perceived learning style
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Anthony B. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs... [Read more]
Five Fun ESL Activities Every Teacher Should Know - TEFL Blog
Federico Riva
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
The following activities may be adapted for use as warmers, engage activities, structured practice or free practice style activities. They may also be adapted for level and age.
Watch the video about this topic
Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language?
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Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials!
The first one is really simple but can be one of the best activities to improve grammar. Some students even at the higher levels are lacking automatic habits, which are really important for grammatical skill. Basically this activity is a grammar drill and it is supposed to be used as a warmer or as an ice-breaker activity. The main objective is to help your students automate some grammatical... [Read more]
How To Create, Carry Out and Review Your EFL Lesson - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Teaching Ideas
A good teacher will bring their own passion, style, and experience in every lesson. Some teachers may have a great deal of teaching experience, while others may be new to the role. The teachers with less teaching experience may find great benefit in putting time and effort into their preparation through Lesson Planning. While more experienced teachers may be able to naturally feel their way through a lesson, perhaps even the syllabus, and frown upon Lesson Planning as being too rigid or structured, for a new teacher I believe it is a necessity to achieving their success.
What is the Aim of Lesson Planning?
How to Write a Lesson Plan?
Lesson Plan Structure
Lesson Revision
Do you want to acquire new teaching skills? Take a TEFL course!
Related Articles:... [Read more]
How To Start Your Own ESL Teaching Service - TEFL Blog
Bri Freeman
TEFL Information Alumni Experiences
The number one question I had to answer before deciding to start Practical English Teacher was "Do I want a new boss or to be my own boss?". I spent months asking myself this before I finally decided to do it. There's a lot of security and credibility that comes with working for a larger ESL company. And I'm not knocking anyone who wants to do that but if you're like me and you're looking for some advice on where to start with your own ESL Service, let's talk.
Starting Out
Advertising and Expanding
How Do I Create a Platform?
Best of Luck!
Do you want to teach English online? Become a TEFL certified teacher!
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First and I would say most importantly, ask yourself, what is your teaching style? What is your expertise and how... [Read more]
Where to teach English Online: Best Websites to Teach on for Both Native and Non-Native Speakers - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
hello everybody so lisa's here and i'm super glad to um welcome you to today's session i'm excited that um it didn't take long uh after the previous one and by the way if you didn't see uh the previous lifestyle i strongly recommend you to do that because um last week we discussed uh teaching in china and i know that many people are interested in going abroad to teach and to discover new cultures so if you want uh to know a little bit more about it um just feel free to check out the previous life and today we are actually going to talk about a slightly different approach to teaching which is online teaching uh it is also super valuable and uh today's session uh will will take approximately 45 minutes so we'll cover um first we'll cover um some of the teaching modes in online teaching... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Productive Receptive Skills/receptive Skills Overview - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
This presentation is going to have a look at the idea of receptive skills and how we can go about teaching receptive skills lessons. There are two receptive skills and they are reading and listening. If we think about first of all, why do we read or listen, then there are probably two main answers to that. Firstly, it could either be for entertainment or it could be for a specific purpose. Within the reading and listening areas there are a number of sub-skills that we can teach our students. Firstly, what we can do is to show different examples of reading. So, let's say, for example, that we have just bought ourselves a new video camera and along with that video camera came a whole book of instructions. In order to find out how to get that camera working, then we would need to very... [Read more]
Why Understanding the Group Dynamics of an ESL Classroom is Important - TEFL Blog
Mark Crocker
Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas
Humans are social animals. Throughout history, we've always evolved in communities and societies, where individuals relate with others by affiliating themselves to different groups. They are then integrated into a complex social network, whose members often have a strong impact on each other. Group dynamics represent this impact: they designate the functioning of a group and the relationships between its members. These dynamics also play an important role in the classroom, thus it is essential that the teacher understands them in order to create a productive synergy between themselves and their students.
Tailoring Lessons to Suit the Common Dynamic
Understanding the Classroom Dynamic Can Help With Participation and Discipline
Are you ready... [Read more]
Techniques to Transmit New and Difficult Concepts to Students - TEFL Blog
Ramon Perez
Teaching Ideas
Every day, we learn something new. It can happen on the street, at work, at school and even in our home. We can attain new skills and knowledge through our interactions with our surroundings. Utilizing our 5 senses and past experiences to make sense of what is going on, we can ascertain new concepts and make proper use of them in our daily lives. However, as a teacher, we are tasked with transmitting abstract concepts that become difficult to fully grasp through traditional methods. Consequently, some teachers rely on literal translations to bring the point across.
VISUAL AIDS
ACTING/ROLE PLAY
ENUNCIATION AND SPEECH
MIMING
CONCLUSION
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Since the student's exposure to the target language can be extremely limited outside of the classroom, it's... [Read more]
Learning Techniques and Educational Assessment - TEFL Blog
Elizaveta Pachina
Alumni Experiences
In an article that explores the future of Assessment for Learning (AfL), Popham (2006) draws on the difference between the traditional approach known as assessment of learning, which focuses on determining what pupils know for the purposes for grading and reports and Assessment for learning, which focuses on helping 'teachers use assessment, as part of teaching and learning, in ways that will raise pupils' achievement' (Assessment Reform Group, 1999, p. 2).
Learning Styles
Assessment Methods
Research of Assessment Techniques
Successful Strategies
Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course!
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This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Robert S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent... [Read more]
Five Online Teaching Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree - TEFL Blog
Mark Crocker
TEFL Information
Online English language teaching is one area of the TEFL field that has grown rapidly in recent times and it is only going to become more popular. With this growth comes an increased demand for teachers which is a very positive thing for anyone who doesn't have a full university degree. While some online employers do insist on a degree, the two most important ingredients when applying for online teaching jobs are generally a TEFL/TESOL certification and in some cases being a native English speaker.
Cambly
PalFish
SkimaTalk
Lingoda
Open English
Are you ready to teach English online?
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For anyone without a degree, the best thing to do is to offer as much else to the employer as possible. As mentioned, a TEFL/TESOL certification is essential... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Lightening Vs Lightning Vs Lighting English Grammar Teaching Tips - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
The three words lightening, lightning and lighting are easily confused by English learners and even native speakers. Let's take a look at the differences. Lightening is the present participle of the verb to lighten describing the action of making something less heavy. A good example would be "I was lightening the load on my horse because it was exhausted." Lightning refers to a streak of static electricity through the sky usually accompanied by thunder, as here "I was struck by lightning while playing golf in a storm." Lighting is the arrangement of light especially in photography. A suitable example for this would be "The photo was dull because the lighting wasn't good enough".
Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL... [Read more]
Tefl reviews - Between Vs Among English Grammar Teaching Tips - ✔️ ✔️ ✔️ ITTT
This video breaks down the difference between "among" and "between". The word "between" is used to refer to two or more things that are distinct. A great example would be: "Choose between the red and the green socks". Here, we use "between" as the socks are clearly different and separated. "Among", on the other hand, is used to refer to things that are part of a group or mass, such as in this example: "Choose among all your socks" here we use ?among? because we are talking about all of the socks. Let's take a look at two more examples to make the difference even clearer. "I am walking between Baker Street and 5th Avenue." Here, we are talking about two separate streets and use 'between'. "I am walking among my friends." In this example, we're talking about more than two people and... [Read more]